Embers among the Ash
by Veriqi
Summary: A team draws its strength from every individual. They are of many sizes, shapes and colours, but they are a close group of rag-tag group where relationships are formed and rivalries born. This story is about how they all met thanks to an aspiring Pokémon Master, and where they went from there. Pokémon AU, although familiar in many ways.
1. Prologue - Finding the Way

**Veriqi does not own Pokémon. I belongs to the Pokémon Company and its respective owners.**

 **Don't forget to favourite, follow and review if you enjoy this story! Critique is always appreciated and allows the author to grow as a writer!**

* * *

 _ **Welcome to Embers among the Ash. Now, before you begin, I'd like to tell you the reason why this story came to be...**_

 _ **While scanning through the Pokémon section of this site, I've found a certain pattern among most fics. Many authors tend to treat pokémon like prizes in their stories to be handed out left and right, lacking in personality or any sort of impact. Now, since I've grown up with the belief that pokémon are our friends and faithful companions, this objectifying narrative rubs me the wrong way. There was also story I felt someone had yet to write, and so I thought I'd try my hand at it myself.**_

 _ **This is the story about the pokémon of Ash Ketchum: t** **he Embers among the Ash!**_

 _ **Yes, this is another one of those. Another revamp of canon. But this time, there's a twist: this story considers the pokémon to be full-fledged characters, on the same level as the humans if not more. And you, dear reader, will get to see it for yourself. Their thoughts and feelings, their pains and hopes... you've all heard of Ash and his dreams** **– its about time you got to hear those of his pokémon.**_

 _ **Hope I don't disappoint.**_

 _–Veriqi_

* * *

 **This fic has gone through some heavy revisements since it was first uploaded. Be aware that there are some changes from the original, although minor, and otherwise enjoy this newer, better version. Thank you for your support.**

* * *

 **Prologue – Finding the Way**

 _by Veriqi_

* * *

The times when Pichu thought back on his early life, it made him wonder why things ended up as they did. Why certain stars were created to shine with a light of another colour, or why a flower with an odd number of petals became the odd one out itself. He wondered why some pokémon were born different, when it would have been so much easier to be born like anyone else.

He was born different. Not special, but different. Unlike. Not-as-he-should-be. If it was something Pichu had learned, then it was that pokémon like him carried a gift or a curse. He had yet to figure out his own.

He had been one out of a hundred, a young hatchling in a large, extended family of pichu and pikachu who made their home in a glen by a mountain's foot. The forests were seemingly endless and bountiful of fruit, and the pikachu would roam them all day in search for the tastiest berries while the pichu played on the sun-bleached cliffs, all under the watchful eye of the leader raichu. In many ways, it was what any pokémon would want in life.

Pichu, however, had quickly become known as the deviant of the bunch. He was curious and inquisitive, frequently sneaking off to explore and always eager to talk to new pokémon, all of which the adults disapproved off. For all their carefree lifestyle, they were a conservative species and feared what they did not understand. Pichu had drifted apart from them as a result, and secretly preferred it. It was easier to handle the disappointment in Raichu's eyes that way.

At least his sister loved him. She was one summer older and Pichu was to this day convinced that she was the most loving being in the world. She had not cared for the sidelong glances sent her way as long as she got to spend her time with her little brother, and had as such become the one to teach him the knowledge of survival, of the stories passed down through the families and of the Legends who created everything they could touch and see.

Sis had been his only and eternal confidant, and he told her of his biggest secret. From the first time he had watched a spark discharge from a red-cheeked cousin, he had been fascinated by the power that coursed within their bodies. The explosive attacks, the might thunderclap, even the pungent smell thereafter – he loved it all. But unlike his laid-backed peers, he wanted to learn to harness it, and not by sitting around and waiting for the ability to come with evolution. She had offered to help him in his endeavour, even going as far as to train with him, and he had gladly accepted her help with his experimentations.

" _What do you dream of?"_ Pichu had asked her one day.

" _Pardon?"_ she had said. They had as usual retreated to an empty clearing some distance from the colony proper, where they could practice without any disturbance. Not that anyone had cared anymore about what he got up to.

" _For the future,"_ he had clarified, all while focusing on a low-hanging hondew in the tree above. No matter what he tried, the power would. Not. Work. _"What do you want to become? You're always helping me, but don't you have anything you want to do yourself?"_

" _Any reason you ask this, Lil-chu?"_

" _I don't know. Maybe so I'll be able to know my own."_

Sis had contemplated it for quite some time, so long in fact that Pichu almost thought she would not answer at all. He should have known better, because not long before he was ready to apologise, she had told him, _"To support my kin."_

" _Huh?"_

" _I've never thought of it before, but now that you asked, I've decided what I want."_ She had looked at him fondly with sparkling eyes. _"To always help my family, be it in hot or cold, and to always serve the colony in the best way I can."_

He had tried not to show it, but her answer had bothered him. It had sounded righteous, but Pichu had never felt such a calling and it had hurt him to know he could not share it.

The day after, she had evolved.

Pichu had doubled his efforts after that, devastated that she had overnight achieved what he had fought so long for. But despite his harder efforts, his powers had remained beyond his grasp, and he had realised in defeat that his goal would be unachievable without reaching the next stage. One that he similarly had not been able to achieve.

He had finally gone to Sis and asked her how it was done, and her answer had been enlightening for more than one reason.

" _I evolved because I found my way."_

" _What?"_

" _What I'm meant to do. Previously, I did not know my calling in life; your question turned out to be the catalyst I needed to realise it. Then, the wall… just wasn't there anymore."_

Pichu had understood that he, for all his determination, lacked any real purpose, and knew he would not find it where he was. Her words had sealed the decision he had come to contemplate more frequently as time went on.

So, he had left.

Nothing tied him to the colony anyway, and while he loved her, Sis alone was not enough to make him stay. Pokémon were driven beings, and luckily, she understood his need to try his luck away from home. Away from her.

" _you were born a pichu, but I always thought you should've been born an arcanine,"_ she had told him the night he was leaving. _"Then you could travel the world, forever free in search of adventure."_

They had shared one last hug between siblings. _"Go find your own way, Lil-chu. Climb the highest peaks, cross the largest rivers. Just… promise me one thing… please come back and tell me of what you've done."_ He had as much.

They had made their heartfelt farewell under the silent moon, before Pichu had turned his back on the only life he had known and left the glen by the mountain's foot behind him. He knew not where he was heading, nor how the Legends might decide to test him, but he did know one thing. That somehow, he would find his way.

* * *

Pichu had seen a lot since then.

Many pokémon lived beyond the small corner of the world where his family made their home. Too many for him to properly meet or talk to, but he tried his best. He had always been a friendly soul, at least to those whom accepted him for who he was, and was good at absorbing what others had to share of their own lives. He even battled a few, and all those experiences added up to teach him much about the world.

As he made his way through the country, he saw both fields and forests, lakes and rivers, mountains and valleys and all there in between, and as a result grew bored of the now familiar sights. It was then that Pichu heard of the ocean from a group of chatty river pokémon, and decided to see it for himself. He had yet to find a way to evoke his evolution; maybe he would find something there?

That brought him to the present, making his way south through the undergrowth of an open but leafy forest. A helpful growlithe had told him to search for the lower land, and to follow the smell of salt on the wind. While his nose could not compare to that of a canine, it was still more than enough to tell he was getting close, not just to the sea, but also to a human settlement.

He normally kept out of the way of humans, but had in his eagerness to reach the ocean foregone his usual caution. It was risky, but Pichu believed he would be fine as long as he stayed out of eyesight and kept his guard up.

A rumbling sound reached his sensitive ears long before he saw it, and as it grew in thundering strength, so did his anticipation. The trees grew thinner, finally stopping altogether in a pronounced line where fern and grass gave way to a rocky beach. Pichu looked out beyond and forgot to breathe.

There was nothing that could compare to the sheer _vastness_ before him, stretching endlessly until the horizon and possibly beyond. None of the pokémon he had met had been able to do the ocean justice in their descriptions, and Pichu knew he would not either. He was so enraptured by the sight and its promise of infinite possibilities that he could not even think of looking away, afraid of breaking the moment.

Pichu sat there for a long time and simply admired the sea, until a distant voice woke him from his reverie. A voice that instantly put his senses on full alert.

A laughing boy – a _human_ boy – was running along the beach, and getting closer fast. Pikachu realized with a start that the crashing waves were hindering his hearing a lot di he had not noticed the human's presence until he was nearly on top of him. He tried to filter out the sounds of the sea as he hid in the grass, watching warily as the boy approached, attention firmly on the water.

"–Look! Look Mom! I think I saw something! A staryu? A starmie? Mom, do you think it could have been a seadra?!"

"Take it easy, sweetie!" an older woman – or so Pichu thought, limited as his knowledge of humans were– called back as she followed at a far more leisurely pace. "I don't think there's any pokémon this far in."

"Oh," the boy said, unknowingly halting right by Pichu's position. The mouse felt uneasy at the proximity, but kept on watching. "Well, guess I can't say goodbye then..."

The smile immediately returned. "I can barely believe it! Tomorrow's the day! I'll start my pokémon journey!"

Pichu tilted his head.

"I know, sweetie. You've wanted it for so long, and I'm happy to see you be able to live your dream." The boy's mother smiled sadly. He did not seem to notice as his smile grew wider.

"Yeah, and I'll become Pokémon Master! Just you watch me!" the boy declared with a raised fist.

"I've no doubt you will be." His mother said, pulling him into a hug. The boy looked awkward, but relaxed after a moment of tenseness.

"Just remember to call," The woman said. "I look forward to hear what you've been up to."

The familiar scene struck a chord in Pichu, who was becoming increasingly aware of how close the humans were. With silent steps, he turned to sneak away, careful as to not rustle the vegetation–

"I think there's pokémon in the tall grass," the boy's mother suddenly said. Pichu froze.

"Really?!" the boy exclaimed, and Pichu had no time to react before his cover were parted by human hands, revealing two big, amber eyes that peered down at him with fascination from a round face edged by a dark thatch of hair. "Wow! It's a pichu!"

Pichu stared back into those amber mirrors, reflecting the colour he knew his own would turn when he felt excitement or joy. The human's eyes were mirthful and curious, dancing with a joyous shine that spoke of no ill will, and Pichu would out of principle have dismissed it were it not for the complete lack of deception those eyes seemed to carry. Their impact was candid, and bewildering in their open invitation.

A weird feeling rose within Pichu as he was momentarily lost in the human's gaze. It was unfamiliar, but not unpleasant. In some ways, pichu thought he had recovered some part of himself he had always been missing, but had not known about until its return made him aware of how _empty_ he had been previously. Even though how wrong such sentiments would be for a proud, wild pokémon, for that heartbeat of time, Pichu felt like he… belonged.

"Hey little guy, come to wish me good luck?"

Pichu blinked. The spell broke, and before he could think of anything else, his instincts kicked in.

He bolted.

"Hey, where're you going?! I was just happy to meet a new pokémon…!"

"You're too enthusiastic. Remember to be more careful when you approach them next time–"

Their voices grew fainter as Pichu ran, and he did not stop until long after they had disappeared completely.

* * *

"It's like no other stone I've ever studied," Rowan said, adjusting the lens of the microscope.

"Well, it's your field of expertise," Oak shrugged. "I specialise in pokémon-human relations, not geology."

"Then why do you have a molecular scanner?" Rowan's assistant wondered, eyeing the powerful, state-of-the-art-machine in the corner. "Speaking of which, why do you have even half of the things I've seen in your lab, Professor?"

"You do have a staggering amount of equipment unrelated to your chosen area," Professor Juniper chuckled on videophone. She had caught wind of what her colleagues in the 'boonies' were up to and had decided to join them as an 'outside observer', even though Oak suspected she was just thirsting for some banter.

"It's not unrelated!"

"Really, Samuel," Rowan said, and only his closest friends could hear the faint humour in his voice. "My funding could not cover a third of what you house in your cellar. But with the League at your beck and call, I'm not surprised to see you're taking advantage of it."

Oak had the decency to look embarrassed.

"I'd say it's a remnant of his trainer days," Juniper mused, "but instead of pokémon he's collecting scanners."

"Enough about this!" Oak declared. "Do you see anything?"

"I can definitely say that the arrangement of its compounds is… odd," Rowan said. "It does not conform to the usual pattern of either naturally formed rock or crystal. I would almost believe it to be man-made, if I did not know such technology has never existed."

"It kind of reminds me of some old artefacts from home," Rowan's assistant said, sweeping his long fringe out of his eyes. "I wish to study them when my apprenticeship finishes."

"Well I certainly don't recognize it," Rowan grunted, rising to his feet. "However, I am curious what the energy it is emitting might be able to tell us, and since our host just so happens to have conduction chamber, I suggest we put it to use."

Oak ignored the jab. "Don't get carried away."

"I only intend to identify its energy signature, as it would tell me if it _is_ an evolutionary stone or not," Rowan explained. "That is why you brought me in on this project, correct?"

"I've told you, some people can't see past my fame," Oak sighed. "The researchers at Indigo Plateau are capable in their own right, but they are convinced that I can do anything. Even when they themselves are far more qualified to deal with mysterious stone shards."

"'Top researcher of the region' isn't doing you any favours?" Juniper teased. "So you're the one to get loaded with all the unidentifiable stuff that doesn't show up on the periodic table. How lucky then, that you just so happen to have the right connections?"

"Have you considered that maybe they knew you would contact me?" Rowan asked. While most well-known for working with pokémon evolution, the surly northerner possessed an extensive geological knowledge due to his time studying evolutionary stones.

"Most people don't think as logically as you are willing to believe they do, Rowan." Oak shook his head. "No matter… let's get on with this. I'm handing out starters tomorrow, and at this pace I won't get any sleep before then."

"I'm giving out new starters myself next week," Juniper said conversationally as the older professors started to prepare for the experiment. "I've done it three times already and I shouldn't be this giddy, but I can't help it! It's always so exciting."

"Do it another thirty times, then we'll see if you're still as enthusiastic," Oak grumbled. "But I have to admit, this is a special occasion – Gary is starting his journey."

"Your grandson?" Juniper said. "Well, that does indeed sound special."

"Yes, he's inherited my own interest for pokémon, so he has a bright career ahead of him," Oak bragged. "I have high hopes for him. Him and one other."

Rowan quirked an eyebrow in mild interest. "Are you referring to that young boy you have told us of? From your description, I had the understanding that he was rather… rash."

Oak chuckled. "Yes, he may not have Gary's brain, but knowledge may come with time. The traits he does possess are far more valuable, and can't be earned as easily."

"What, heart and compassion?" Rowan huffed. "Personally I believe intellect is the most useful tool, but what do I know? It is your field after all."

* * *

Pichu sat huddled behind a large root, panting lightly as he recovered from his wild rush from the beach. He was a speedy and agile fighter, but his small body lacked the stamina needed for any intense, prolonged activity. It was something to keep in mind for future training.

What had happened back there? He knew better than to challenge fate, and humans were a deceitful bunch that would capture an unsuspecting pokémon given the chance. But that encounter had entirely defied all of his expectations, and trying to recollect himself from it was hard. It would take some time to shake off fully, and for now, Pichu was left with an odd feeling of wistfulness.

He looked around as he contemplated the mystery. A timely gust made the branches in the canopy shift slightly, enough so to give Pichu a glimpse of a chrome tower close by. He was unable to tell exactly what it was, but it had nevertheless peaked his interest. Caution warred with nosiness, and Pichu only had to think for a moment before he set off to investigate.

This was precisely why he never had gone near humans. They were far too intriguing to ignore.

When he reached the chrome tower, he saw it was one of those things human put up to see if the wind blew or not – a 'turbine', or so it was called – which sat on top of a larger building with a vaulted, red roof. Pichu wondered if it was important in some way, since it lorded over the settlement beneath like Raichu usually did over the colony during important meetings.

The large building was intimidating. Pichu hesitantly eyed the gleaming façade, its polished brickwork and windows that flashed in the sunlight, one of which was open, and he wondered what to do. The most sensible option would be to turn around. It would be so easy to dismiss it, and nothing would punish him if he just turned around and went straight back to the forests and the fields, where he would never have to think back on this again.

On the other hand, the building had an open window.

Sigh.

With an impressive jump for his size, Pichu landed on the windowsill with all the silence of a meowth and carefully slipped in. The room was fortunately empty, and he breathed a sigh in relief as he slid down to the floor. His paws tapped lightly against the floor as he padded across the room, not fully sure of what he was doing until a faint sense of running electricity made him look over to the bundle of cables by the back wall. Cheeks tingling in anticipation, Pichu bared his fangs as he drew nearer.

A recent encounter with an incensed magnemite had taught him an interesting lesson about his powers. When the magnemite had tried to shock him, Pichu had been completely unharmed by it, and no matter how many times the sentient magnet had tried, it had not been able to touch him. Pichu had soundly beaten the thing when it ran out of power, and had for the rest of the day felt unusually invigorated – a feeling he now thirsted for again.

The casing provided little resistance as Pichu bit down into the wire, and he pierced the plastic without trouble. He siphoned as much energy as he could before the metal thread within broke, cutting the feed and leaving him with an itching want for more. The rest of the bundle went in similar short fashion, and Pichu greedily began to hunt for more.

* * *

Rowan's assistant stumbled.

"These things are everywhere!" he complained, gesturing at the free-running cables that snaked across the floor in complete disarray

Oak rubbed his neck. "Forgive me, I'm in the middle of rewiring the lab, so it is a temporary solution."

"By having it go right through the middle of the room by an extension cord? That's not temporary, that's plain lazy!"

Oak shrugged. "I'm no electrician."

"You're a _scientist_!"

"That's not the same–"

"Boys."

Their heads snapped to the computer screen. Juniper looked amused, thoroughly enjoying their flabbergasted expressions. "Are we ready to begin?"

"Almost," Rowan said. He placed the shard into the electrodes and closed the glass over it, sealing the conduction chamber from the outside. The professors gathered around it, making sure that they had a clear and easy view.

Oak cleared his throat, trying to collect himself. "If that's all, then I suppose we should start."

Rowan's assistant nodded and turned the switch. The professors watched closely as a few hundred volts shot through the shard, sending small sparks dancing over its black surface.

"There appears to be some form of resistance," Rowan noted. "Try increasing the voltage."

The assistant dutifully obeyed.

* * *

Pichu had followed the cables into a large hole, where all of the wiring on the floor congregated into a vertical chute that led straight down to the basement. He could detect a large source of power down there, and so knew where he was headed for more electricity. It was too late to be cautious by now.

He carefully lowered himself down the cramped space, headfirst with his tail hooked around the wires to control his descent. Light streamed through another opening by the bottom, and Pichu, hanging upside down, peeked into the room. It was darker than the first floor had been, since it was mostly underground, and filled with strange equipment of many shapes and sizes. A small group of humans stood huddled around one of them with their backs turned to him and the rest of the room.

 _Humans_.

Pichu nearly turned tail right then and there, but realized that they had not notice him. He looked around. Several bulky devices mostly hid him from view, and if he was quiet, he could likely sneak all the way over to the power outlet by the generator in the corner. As long as he did not disturb the humans, he would be fine.

On silent paws, Pichu crept along the cover until he reached the thick power cords. They were a lot bigger than the ones in the room upstairs, but it only took some further gnawing and peeling to expose the conductor within. He was nearly salivating at the electricity he could feel streaming through the cable, and without any further ado bit down.

 _Pain_ shot through him, burning and shredding and hurting like nothing he had felt before. Every nerve screamed as _something_ crashed through his body, forcefully entering his electrical channels with the precision of a Giga Impact and stressed his fragile network beyond the breaking point. Words failed him, his senses shut down and nothing could prepare him for the overwhelming _presence_ that tore through him without care for the damage it caused on the way.

Pichu blindly grasped for some sort of saviour. As any pokémon at their limit would, he blindly reached out into his inner well, desperately clawing for the shining star that he had tried to find so many times before but never managed to spot in the darkness. But now it was a fight for survival, and either because of that or some other factor he was not aware of, something was different.

This time, he found it.

He barely noticed the weird feeling that enveloped him, and then he knew nothing more.

* * *

They had barely a second's warning before it all went wrong. The stone shard lit up like the sun, and a high-pitched squeal tore through the room before the conduction chamber exploded.

A loud bang shattered the glass, sending pieces flying everywhere, and the control panel sparked madly as it short-circuited. The lights failed while screens all through the lab fizzled and died, leaving the lab in darkness. A shocked silence gripped the room, and small flames flickered in the ruined conduction chamber from which wispy tendrils of smoke rose towards the low ceiling. The professors, both full-fledged and in training, stumbled back to their feet, unharmed as they had had the sense to take cover in time.

Rowan was the quickest to react, but as he went to send out Prinplup to deal with the fire, he discovered that the pokéball would not expand in his hand. The mechanism was malfunctioning.

"Augustine! The extinguisher!"

The assistant, Augustine, swiftly responded, and the fire was shortly put out.

"…What happened?" Oak finally managed.

"The stone violently reacted to something. What, I do not know." Rowan looked around the room. "It appears our mishap created some form of electromagnetic pulse, which knocked out the power in the building."

"Unplugged devices stopped working as well," Augustine added, sounding rather miffed as he thumbed at his dead Pokétch.

"The pulse must have equalized the charge in the batteries," Oak guessed. "What about the shard?"

"Gone. There's not even any fragments left."

Oak and Rowan exchanged glances.

The backup generator kicked in, restarting the lab's systems. Rowan sat down by the restart computer and began to type as he used the advanced system to estimate the damage.

"The EMP appears to have dispersed at an estimated radius of 2,300 metres, which even with a generous margin of error has the whole of Pallet Town affected. They'll hopefully be able to cope without their electronics for a couple of hours."

Oak winced, already seeing the questions being turned his way. He was just about to ask for specifics when his attention was grabbed by a small… was that a squeak? It sounded like it came from the direction of the generator.

"Try to re-establish the connection with Juniper," he said absently. "With how abrupt our call ended, we should probably assure her we didn't blow up Pallet." While Rowan did so, Oak carefully stepped over some broken glass and made his way over towards the power-outlet.

His's eyes widened.

The call connected. "What happened?" Juniper asked. She sounded deeply worried.

"We're unharmed," Rowan gruffly informed her. "The experiment reacted violently and knocked out all the power in the lab. We're currently localizing further problems…"

"Problem localized," Oak spoke up, eyes not straying. "I've found signs of sabotage."

" _Sabotage_?!"

Rowan nearly flew out of his chair and marched over to Oak, face dark and foreboding. "What kind of irresponsible…?! When I get my hands on the culprit, they'll wish they had rather faced the deepest terrors of Darkrai –"

His rant died on his lips as he stepped around the machine blocking the view and he saw what his colleague was looking at.

"I don't think it was an intentional operation," Oak said with a calm but hard look, "and even if it was, I believe this poor critter isn't deserving of any further punishment."

By the damaged cord connecting the conduction chamber to the generator, there was a pokémon. It was not visibly injured, yet the uncontrolled shivering, pained breathing and madly sparking cheeks told the professors that it was still hurting from something.

It was a Pikachu.

* * *

 **End of Prologue**

* * *

 **[AN]: Hope that caught your interest.**

 **First fic, first chapter;** **I can't deny my excitement. I welcome any sort of response, so you're welcome to review if you'd like to give me some constructive criticism or just feel like dropping a comment. I'm always happy to hear it. Now, regarding this chapter...**

 **Pikachu is such a central character, yet he rarely if ever recieves any backstory. I have now rectefied that. Hope you enjoyd it, even if it might seem cheesy at times. I'm of the opinion that you have to be cheesy to make some impact, so I'm going to be like that at times. Don't let that discourage you to keep reading though!**

 **The scene with Ash is kind of blatant, but you all now how this is going to end anyway. Why pretend it's going to end differently?**

 **The professors were entertaining to write, and I had fun with their interactions. Rowan is stoic, Juniper is bubbly and everyone makes fun of Oak. Also features Augustine Sycamore, a.k.a. that handsome guy from Kalos, but you won't be seeing him anymore. The others though...**

 **Until next time.**

 **[EDIT 2017/1/17]: Fixed sentence punctuation.**

 **[EDIT 2017/11/20]: Revised chapter.**


	2. Chapter 1 - Hidden Truths

**Veriqi does not own Pokémon, and never will.**

 **If you like** **this story, please leave a review and fav/follow.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1 – Hidden Truths**

 _by Veriqi_

* * *

It was 9:08 a.m. and Ash Ketchum was asleep. Excited for the beginning of his pokémon journey, he had been far too worked up for bed the day before and had not crashed until the clock had been approaching midnight. He was no morning person to begin with, so the late night coupled with his usual lie-abed nature was paying its toll. The alarm was silent, as it had been the entire morning, despite the fact that it should have sounded forty minutes earlier, but Ash had foregone checking if it still worked after the blackout yesterday. It ran on batteries, so he had reckoned it would be fine.

He finally awoke thirteen minutes past the set time to be at Oak's Laboratory, although he did not realize it at first. Blinking at the sunlight streaming through his window, Ash's mind slowly rebooted as it registered the height of the sun, and suddenly went from barely-conscious to instant-panic. Ungraciously falling out of bed, he rushed through showering and dressing in record time before flying down the stairs like the houndoom were on his heels.

"Sorry Mom – first pokémon – be back later!" he managed as he passed his wide-eyed mother, then he was out the front door without slowing down. All the while, he prayed to whatever Legend might be listening for a pokémon to still be waiting for him at the lab.

* * *

Professor Oak watched his grandson return his chosen pokémon to its pokéball, approving of how Gary had handled his partner for the first meeting. The younger Oak was of the right mind concerning pokémon training, which lightened the old professor's heart. He had seen too many trainers lacking in compassion during his lifetime, and he was glad his grandson was not one of them.

The new trainer turned to his grandfather. "Can I get my pokédex and pokéballs now, Professor?" he said, stiffly if politely.

Oak frowned. For the past year, Gary had grown more distant and cold towards him, and the old professor did not know why. Where had the open, happy kid who vied for his beloved gramps' attention gone? Why had this cold persona taken that young boy's place?

Oak wished he knew.

With a sigh, the professor handed over the standard trainer's equipment, explaining the general functions and rules even though Gary probably knew them already. It was just like his grandson to be prepared and up to form Just as they were finishing up, the front door flew open with a slam, heralding the arrival of one late trainer.

Oak smiled in exasperation, quite sure of _which_ trainer it was.

"Sorry Professor!" Ash said as he entered the room in a half-run, "I overslept, but I'm here now! Do you have any pokémon… left…?" he trailed of as he noticed the other person in the room. "Hi Gary."

"Hello Ashy-boy," Gary returned the greeting. "Finally decided to get a pokémon too did you?"

Ash flushed, although years of friendship had tempered him to Gary's personality. "You've already picked? Which one?"

"The best," Gary hedged, "and you'll have to see for yourself. I'm not letting you get the type-advantage."

"I'd never choose for that reason and you know it!" Ash huffed. "I don't care what kind of pokémon it is – I'd be happy with anything!"

Oak's smile turned fonder. For all his faults, Ash had his qualities that were rarely seen in people nowadays. And with such an outlook, this might just work out.

"Well… good luck then. I'll be on my way now," Gary said. He hesitated.

"…I'll call," he said, and turned towards the door without another word. It was something.

"We'll see each other, right?" Ash asked before his friend could leave. "Then we can battle. Then we'll see who's truly the strongest!"

Gary glanced at him. "Get a pokémon first, then you can think of challenging me. Smell you later."

Then he was gone. Ash shot an annoyed look at the door before suddenly turning more bashful.

"There _is_ still a one for me to take, right?" he asked nervously. Oak frowned.

"I'm afraid all the usual starters have already been taken. I don't have any left." Ash looked crestfallen, and Oak paused before continuing. "However, I may have a different solution for you."

Ash instantly perked up. "What is it Professor? Is there another way for me to get my pokémon?" he asked excitedly. Oak gave a rueful smile.

"Yes, I have an extra pokémon I can give you. Allow me to collect its pokéball."

While the professor went to retrieve it, he once again reviewed what he was about to do. He hoped the pokémon in question was not too traumatized, as while it was fine physically, he could not tell in advance how the experience had affected its psyche. He could only hope this would not backfire horribly.

Shoving down on any further doubts, he grabbed the pokéball from the storage unit and returned with it to Ash.

* * *

Pikachu was angry. The old man, which he truly despised with passion, had imprisoned him in this round device while he was unconscious, and Pikachu did not like to be put away like some object into a cramped container. The dematerialised feeling was… nasty.

Furthermore, the device had somehow replicated the glen by the cliffs, where he was born and raised and despite everything that had happened still saw as home. Words could not describe how he hated this shadow of his origin. He usually avoided thinking of it when he was awake and only did so in the night when he could dream of it in peace. But now, it was laid plain right in front of him… tauntingly, a mocking impression of his most treasured sanctuary. Reminding him that he would never see it again, now that he was a caught pokémon and thus a chained creature. A simple pikachu with simple dreams no one cared for.

He had still not fully accepted the fact that he had evolved. His memories were fuzzy, and he could not put together exactly when it had happened. What he did remember though was the pain. A chill went through his spine and out into his tail – now longer and zig-zagged – and the mouse shuddered. He could remember _all_ the pain.

Pikachu had as of yet only had a few minutes to explore his new physical state before the old coot had put him back into the container, and any further familiarisation had taken place in this figment of his imagination, put into his head by some machine. The senses he shared with other pokémon may be fooled, but his electrical sense made him aware of the walls pressing down on him.

He did not know if he had been claustrophobic before, but he surely was now.

Suddenly, he felt the pull he knew signified release, and he braced himself as his mind was pulled out of the imaginary world and back into the real one.

* * *

"Now, I should tell you before I open it…" Oak began, holding up the pokéball as Ash listened attentively. "I found this pokémon chewing on some power cables yesterday and had to catch it. You understand what I'm saying?" Oak asked seriously.

"It's a wild pokémon," Ash said with wide eyes.

"Exactly. He's not very fond of me, but I believe you might be able to bond with him. And watch out, he's quite powerful." Oak handed the boy the pokéball.

Ash took a moment to look at it. It was like any other pokéball, the only difference being a small, yellow lightning-bolt on the front. The symbol for the electric element.

"Well… I choose you!" Ash called on a whim, opening the 'ball to let the pokémon out on the pedestal where the starter pokéballs had previously rested. As it materialized, he took in its appearance – yellow, rodent-like built and a distinctive tail – and easily recognized it. The pikachu squeaked in surprise and shook its head, then began to cautiously take in its new surroundings. Its eyes stopped moving when they landed on Ash, who thought he saw recognition flash within them.

"Hi!" Ash began. Got to start somewhere. "So you're Pikachu, huh? From what Professor Oak told me, you're strong."

He tried the careful approach, thinking of Oak's warning. It would not do to be brusque about this and go hug it or something.

Pikachu's eyes momentarily flickered over to the professor, head tilted inquisitively with the ears enhancing the movement. It appeared rather confused.

"I'm Ash Ketchum," he continued, "and I'm starting my pokémon journey today. Or well, I would've done it–"

He appeared to listen, if only by one ear.

"–if there were any starter left for me," Ash explained. "But since there weren't, the Professor kind off… offered you instead…?"

Pikachu looked surprised, then it growled and turned on the professor, who raised his hands in alarm.

"Wait! Please be calm!" Ash called, sliding around the table. "He only did it because I was late, so blame me. But I don't see you as a replacement, and I'd really like to have you as a partner. Would you like to come with me on my journey?"

The mouse looked at Ash intensely, as if staring hard enough would grant it the revelation of his dilemma. Ash tried to return it without seeming confrontational, and he realized Pikachu's eyes were very familiar. The body and size may have changed, but the guarded eyes were the same as the ones he had seen on the beach the day before.

"I'm sorry for scaring you," he said, making Pikachu start, "I just saw an awesome pokémon and wanted to have a closer look. I can get to enthusiastic sometimes – well, that's what mom always tells me. I just love to meet new pokémon, and you seem like a cool one I'd like to get to know better. If you'd let me…?"

Pikachu looked bewildered, and its – _his_ – ears drooped in uncertainty. Then he shocked him.

Ash yelped – the bolt had not harmed him, but it still stung – and watched incredulously as Pikachu huffed and nodded, turning away with crossed arms and a proud sniff.

Ash grinned. He guessed the pokémon wanted to send a message with the shock, and knew he had yet to win th over. But that was a concern for another time – he could start his journey!

"Great! I'm happy to have you!" He raised the pokéball to return his new partner when Pikachu suddenly hissed at the pokéball. Ash flinched at the sudden change in demeanour, then followed Pikachu's line of sight.

"…Professor?"

"Well," Oak said, gauging Pikachu's reaction. "I had chalked it up as pertaining to his capture… but it might be one of those odd cases that, for one reason or another, feels uncomfortable in their pokéball."

"Really? Well, then I'm not putting him in it," Ash announced, pocketing the 'ball. Pikachu looked… surprised? Disbelieving? "You can walk beside me if you promise to not run of."

The pokémon slowly nodded.

"Good," the professor said. Ash accepted his trainer's equipment, as well as the required lesson, then turned back to Pikachu.

"Feel ready to go?"

His new partner shrugged – or did the closest thing he could achieve with his lack of pronounced shoulders – and jumped down from his perch to accompany the trainer.

"Thanks for everything professor!" Ash shouted as he exited the lab, "I'll call when I reach Viridian!"

The professor smiled as he waved them off.

As Ash made his way down the hill, he looked over at his new companion. Pikachu followed obediently, which boded well, and they continued out through the gate. He breathed deeply, enjoying the first whiff of air on his adventure. This was finally it!

Ash grinned. "Okay! Onwards, to advent–"

Looking down, he realized his shirt was on the wrong way, his gloves missing and his feet were bare. Miraculously, the zipper of his pants was pulled up and in the front, which after the hurried dressing earlier was quite the accomplishment.

"–my house! Guess we still have to pick up my stuff..." he laughed mareepishly.

Pikachu's look was decidedly unimpressed.

* * *

After Ash was gone, Oak's hand drifted to his pocket. The professor contemplated the decision he had made the very same morning, absently toying with a pokéball in his hand. The pokéball containing the still not-chosen bulbasaur.

Had things played out differently, Ash may have left the lab with a completely different pokémon, but Oak had his reasons for the sleight-of-hand he had just played. Call it a hunch, but he felt as if those two were destined for each other.

While Ash was rather unimpressive at first glance, Oak knew the boy had hidden talents waiting to be discovered, by himself as well as the rest of the world. The boy had proven to be perceptive and unconventional in his thinking, and Oak was sure further skills were soon to follow. Either way, his heart more than made up for any shortcomings in the professor's humble opinion. Now, the Pikachu on other hand…

Oak and the other professors had studied the pokémon while it was comatose, and the results gained from their samples were simply mind-boggling. To discover that the pikachu had actually been a _pichu_ at the time of the accident was interesting enough, but the subsequent discoveries really stole the whole show.

The stone shard, which had disappeared without a trace, turned up in the most unexpected of places – inside Pikachu's electrical system. It had somehow turned into a heavily compressed form of electricity and transferred itself through the cord and into then-Pichu's body, which had been forced to evolve to survive the strain. From what they could tell, the metamorphosis had then merged the stone with Pikachu's own electrical system. As for the consequences, such a form of mutation did make the pokémon special, with the most apparent effects on its electrical capacity.

Any trainer worth their salt would salivate at the potential of that Pikachu. And it had Lightning Rod too, something unheard of for a wild specimen. Oak almost felt guilty for giving it away as a starter since he had a strict policy not to appear biased, but a special pokémon belonged with a special trainer. Besides, Ash needed to get it to actually _listen_ first, which would be a trial by fire for any rookie. Or in this case, a trial by lightning... lots and lots of lightning.

Oak hoped he could manage.

Then the professor wondered how _he_ would manage to explain this to Rowan, who had expressed a profound interest in the Pikachu he had just gifted away. The strange circumstances of its evolution had made his colleague's eyes glint with an otherworldly light when they had investigated it the day prior, and the northern professor was likely to request it for further study.

A sense of doom settled over Oak, and he went to search for something strong in preparation of that conversation.

* * *

After the unlikely duo had returned to the trainer's house, they had eaten breakfast and bid goodbye to the boy's mother ("Remember to change your underwear every day, okay?", " _Mom!_ ") before setting out for what was apparently called Route 1. The trainer, now in proper travelling attire and bag slung over his shoulder, strode confidently out of the village bounds with Pikachu trailing after, the latter of which glared daggers at the back of the human before him. Which he did not notice, of course.

Pikachu had no intention to stay. He had thought of a plan when he was offered to become the boy's pokémon, and he was going through with it at first opportunity. He needed to destroy the 'pokéball' when the trainer let it out of sight. It was the shackle that bound Pikachu to the boy, and he wished to sever every connection they shared. He was terrified of the thoughts already festering in his head.

He distinctly remembered the trainer's words from their first encounter the day before. The ambitious nature, the dreams the boy held… Pikachu could understand them to some degree. Briefly, the he wondered what the human would witness on his journey, and if he would also like to see it. The thought made him stumble.

Shaking his head, Pikachu reiterated. Crush the 'ball, then their contract was mute. He never had a constant in his life other than his sister, and he did not want anyone to take that place. He was too scared of that.

He broke into a half-run as the trainer looked back at him expectantly, not wanting to give the impression he was trying to slink of. He still had to make him lower his guard.

* * *

The road was windy, following the landscape rather than ploughing through it. A stream of water ran by their path, flowing back towards Pallet Town and bringing it news of how its scion fared now that he was out and about in the world.

Pikachu kept close, but not more than was absolutely necessary. Ash was unsure of how to approach him, especially as the electric-type had appeared rather unwilling to go along with this agreement to begin with. He had always been told pokémon generally accepted their trainer after getting caught, but Pikachu ignored him when he tried to order him and had already shocked him three times. Yet, he kept on following.

It was frustrating. How would he make Pikachu listen to him? He dismissed everything Ash said, and the new trainer hated to be ignored. Hated people who thought he was not worth their time, that their time were better given to others…

He shook of that line of thought. Maybe strike up a conversation?

Right, he did have something he wanted to ask. "You were the pichu I saw yesterday?"

Pikachu glanced over at him, then confirmed his suspicions with a nod.

"Right… then, you evolved?" A flat look. "Yeah, I guess that one's obvious. Where're you born around here?"

A headshake.

"No? Then where do you come from?"

A sweep of the tail, a dismissive sound.

"So, from… that way? Any family?"

That was apparently the wrong thing to say, as Pikachu instantly clammed up and did not look away from the road from there on.

That could have gone better.

* * *

Pikachu watched the spectacle in silence.

After some time on the road, the boy had decided they should stop for lunch in a convenient clearing by the side of the path and had started to pull out wrapped sandwiches for himself and some kind of hard food for Pikachu (which, as the mouse had been told, they could replace with better stuff once they reached the city). He had then been distracted by one of the locals, a rattata, and had told Pikachu to attack her so he could try and catch her. Naturally, Pikachu had zapped him in response, and the moron then decided he would catch the normal-type himself.

By chasing it. And trying to hit it with 'ball after 'ball, all of which the rattata avoided with utmost ease.

Pikachu was trying to work out how his life had come this.

" _He wants to be a Pokémon Master, he says..."_ he muttered to himself. _"Well, good luck with that."_

" _How so?"_ a soprano voice spoke up.

Pikachu's ears twitched and he turned to look. A Pidgeotto, older than him by two summers at the least, sat on a branch above him and looked rather curious.

" _What do you mean?"_ Pikachu asked, uneasy that he did not notice her arrival. She had probably detected intruders in her territory and wanted to investigate – lucky for him, as she would not attack a shocker without good reason.

" _Why do you believe he would not be able to reach his goal?"_ she said, turning her head so she could keep an eye on both him and his trainer at the same time. _"The greatest of pidgeot once learned how to use their wings. Do you expect him to hatch with the knowledge to fly?"_

She rather needlessly nodded at the human to indicate her point.

" _He didn't hatch, and who knows what he might believe he can do,"_ Pikachu sneered. _"Look at him. You would believe he thinks you befriend a rattata by throwing things at them."_

Pidgeotto huffed, which sounded strange coming from a beak. _"Maybe if he threw them food it would work. But I guess you know your fellow rodents better than I do."_

" _Don't compare me with those vermin."_ He grimaced, watching the byplay between the definitely-not-related other mouse and the trainer. _"I'm not some common rat that steals food from idiots that doesn't know better."_

Guess what fate had befallen the boy's sandwiches. He was growing angry, throwing pokéballs like a maniac at the purple rat, none of which hit as the rattata had no intention of getting caught, dancing around the 'balls like she thought it was some kind of game. Judging by her laughter, she probably did.

" _I'm fully aware,"_ The bird said. _"But if that's how you feel, then why do you follow him?"_

Pikachu blinked. _"I was caught while knocked out and without any chance to defend myself. Now I'm stuck with him – until I can smash the 'ball, that is."_

Pidgeotto's sharp gaze fixed itself on him. Pikachu grew somewhat uncomfortable under the penetrating stare, but tried to ignore it.

" _You're lying to yourself."_

Pikachu startled. _"What? No I'm not!"_

" _Don't lie to me too,"_ she said, this time in distain.

" _What– what makes you think I would lie about this?! I was free to do whatever I want, free to go where I pleased and free to do… whatever! And then this happened!"_ Pikachu raged. Honesty being an important virtue to him, and he did not like to have her insinuate he was being less-than truthful. " _Now I'm forever bound to the whims of a human and his own desires!_ "

" _Your eyes tell a different story,"_ Pidgeotto said, eyes narrowed. _"That's the gift we, the children of the sky, are born with – our keen eyes always see clearly, no matter what might cloud our view."_

Pikachu did not know what to say, and the bird continued to study him. _"Your eyes… they show me an inner turmoil. Loss, confusion… uncertainty. All strange things to see in a recently evolved pikachu. Yes, I saw you pass by the other day – I recognized you by the way you stumbled when you walked. The look of someone who doesn't know where to go."_ She paused in thoughtful contemplation. _"Yet I also see a drive I can only compare to the heart of a thunderstorm. A fighting spirit, a drive to… find your way. Admirable, but you appear blind to the answer that others see as painfully clear."_

Pikachu flinched. He felt vulnerable, scared – she dissected his whole being with such ease, unearthing feelings he never had acknowledged and laying them bare where he could not ignore them. _"What… what do you mean?_ "

Pidgeotto gave him a pitying look. Just then, Pikachu's trainer apparently grew tired of chasing after the rattata.

"Pikachu, will you come here and–" the trainer spotted their visitor, or rather, their host as this was her territory. "Wow, a Pidgeotto!"

 **Pidgeotto, a normal- and flying-type pokémon,** the red pad reported, **and the evolved form of pidgey. It has outstanding vision and highly developed claws which it uses to capture its prey. It claims an area as its territory, patrolling its living space and defending it fiercely from intruders.**

Pidgeotto listened to her description, seemingly approving of it, and turned to Pikachu.

" _I will help you realize for yourself. Your trainer's heart soars in anticipation, and I believe he wants to battle me."_ She flapped her wings and took off." _Fight me, but keep one thing in mind – listen to your trainer, and let him guide you, if only for this battle. Maybe then you'll have your answer._ "

Pikachu looked at her dubiously and grumbled. What did she mean with 'listen to your trainer'? Well, if it would help clear things up, he saw no harm in it. For a little while, at least.

"Pikachu! We're challenging Pidgeotto!" the boy called, a bit uncertainly. "Are you in?"

Pikachu's answer was a definite confirmation.

"Yes! Thank you buddy!"

The electric-type took his place before whom he for this battle would let command him. As the first battle since his evolution, Pikachu was thrilled to finally be able to use his electricity and looked forward to this despite the advanced opponent. Previously, he had only been capable of accidental shocks, but now…

Now he was in control.

"Now, Pikachu! Use… uh…" Pikachu nearly fell over.

"Wait, wait!" the trainer called, muttering as he recalled what moves he had seen Pikachu use. "Thunder Shock!"

Pikachu's cheeks sparked and let loose a crackling bolt of electricity. By the Titans above, how _easy_ this felt compared to before! He was staggered by the power of the attack, and wondered how much of a power boost had come with evolution. Pidgeotto was similarly surprised, but her experience won out and she quickly dove to the side and continued down towards Pikachu with impressive speed.

"Pikachu, dodge!"

He had to no qualms with obeying that. Pidgeotto swept down to deliver a simple Tackle, but Pikachu waited and threw himself to the side with the right timing. The avian fighter built up altitude, turning so she was facing the battlefield and began flapping her wings energetically. With every beat of her wings, the winds grew in strength until her Gust created a small storm in the clearing. Pikachu's claws dug into the ground, trying to not lose his grip in the powerful winds. He weighed about three times as much as he did pre-evolution, but Pidgeotto was not holding back.

"Pikachu!" his trainer cried in worry, having an easier but not pleasant time with the drafts. "Don't let– wait, use your tail!"

Pikachu blinked at the peculiar order. Guessing what the boy wanted, he lifted his bolt-shaped tail and rammed it into the ground, finding some leverage that way. Waiting out the Gust, he fired another Thunder Shock – only a heartbeat before his trainer commanded it, but he resolved to rein in his own instincts and listen to his trainer. He _had_ come up with a smart solution before and might do it again.

Pidgeotto did not manage to dodge this time. The bird squawked as she was hit, but recovered quickly.

" _Not bad,"_ she said. _"Let's heighten the intensity!"_

She shot downwards – much faster than earlier – with a white streak of light trailing behind her, and Pikachu could not react before she rammed into him. The mouse was sent flying while the bird regained her lost height, crowing successfully.

" _How do you handle my Quick Attack? It grants me the speed to attack far faster than you!"_

Pikachu shook his head, eyes focusing at his opponent above. He launched another Thunder Shock, but she lazily drifted to the side.

" _That's not going to work,"_ she taunted and dived again. The white light appeared, lighting up her travelled path and the boy screamed for him to evade. Pikachu was unsuccessful, and another hit sent him rolling across the grass. He crawled to a stand with pained motions, unsure if he could take another one of those.

"This isn't working!" The boy said, biting his lip. "You have to… get faster, somehow. Put your energy into it when you run; try to match Pidgeotto's speed!"

Pikachu paused to process it. All pokémon knew instinctively how to channel their inner energy, and he had trained with his own since birth. It sounded possible, brilliant in all its simplicity, and he closely studied Pidgeotto's movements the next time she powered up her move. He thought of how to replicate her movements, and just as she went in to deliver the attack, exploded into motion.

He blurred to the side, letting Pidgeotto pass, and when she made a low turnaround he retaliated, hitting her in the side with his own trailing white streak. She wobbled but recovered, and the beats of her wings intensified as she shot upwards over the treetops. She began to freefall, then levelled out with the ground on wings glowing with a shimmering, blue energy.

" _Feel my Wing Attack!"_

The boy was on point. His previous ideas had proven to be good, so while Pikachu did not know the plan he nevertheless trusted the boy to lead him. He ran to meet the incoming bird head on and _threw_ himself to the ground, letting her pass right over him with a hair to spare.

"On her!"

Pikachu was in sync as he righted himself, beginning to run in the opposite direction and with the power of a Quick Attack, launched himself into the air and onto Pidgeotto's back. She was completely taken off guard.

" _This'll_ definitely _work,"_ he muttered with a grin, and released every volt he had available.

Pidgeotto's body was engulfed by crackling electricity. She convulsed in pain, wings giving out and sending her crashing into the ground, dislodging grass and moss. Pikachu remained on her for the whole landing, and jumped off when she came to a complete stop, definitely in no shape to continue.

" _A great battle,"_ she managed between ragged breaths. _"You did well. But did you… huff… understand?"_

Pikachu looked back at his cheering trainer. _"I think I might have an idea what you meant."_

" _I am glad to hear,"_ Pidgeotto chuckled, _"and I look forward to watch you learn it fully."_

Pikachu was confused, until he realized that his trainer was rummaging for a pokéball, readying to catch her. A sick sense of guilt pooled in his stomach.

" _No! I– I didn't mean for this to happen! You're going to be stuck on the ground. What about your freedom, your dreams?"_

" _Heh, silly little shocker…"_ she muttered. _"I knew the risks, and yet I willingly partook in this battle. I I am… glad, truly."_

Pikachu tried to make sense of what she was saying. Her eyes glimmered, conveying emotions he could not begin to understand.

" _I am a daughter of the winds, born and raised to become a true queen in the sky – a pidgeot that can challenge the greatest Legends of the heavens. I have reached my peak as it is, and I can never truly become what I strive for if I remain here. Then I would become another forgettable bird in a small corner of the world I wish to fly above."_

She turned to watch the boy, who had found a pokéball. _"My keen eyes always see clearly. When I look at him… I see determination, a pure heart and a drive that I find worthy of my loyalty. I hope you will find him worthy of yours."_

The trainer's 'ball bounced against her and opened, turning her brown and cream-coloured feathers into red, digitized information. After absorbing her dematerialised body, it landed with a gentle thud and begun the capture process.

It rocked once…

…twice…

…thrice…

The button on the front flashed, signifying success, and Pikachu's trainer leapt into the air with a whoop. He walked over to the now still pokéball and picked it up, staring at it with an unreadable expression. Not unreadable in an ominous sense, but in a sense of complexity and thoughtfulness.

"Welcome to the team Pidgeotto. I'm sure you'll fit right in," The boy, his trainer, spoke to the still ball in his hand. Pikachu pondered on this new development, even as he distantly enjoyed the sweetness of victory. "Yes! I caught my first pokémon!"

He raised the ball high into the air, celebrating the first, newly conquered stepping-stone in the path to his goal. And Pikachu, somehow, felt that he was a part of that.

* * *

 **End of Chapter**

* * *

 **[AN]: The familiar saga begins, though with less spearow.**

 **Ash is his same old self. Sorry, but this isn't a genius!Ash fic or the like, and he won't start out with the capability of a Elite 4-member. That being said, I was never fond of his original characterisation and as such I have put a cap on his level of stupidity. You'll recognise him, but he'll actually experience some _growth_ which I think we all agree he could use.**

 **A wild Pidgeotto appears! Canon Pidgeotto was pretty much a blank slate, so I got to really let loose with her character. She'll be the mature, experienced member of the team to balance out the younger 'mons to come.**

 **The battle scene was the first one I ever wrote. I hope you enjoyed it, and that you like the way I write action.**

 **I have to cut down on these author's notes in the future, otherwise they'll claim too much of the word count. Well, until next time.**

 **[EDIT 2017/11/20]: Revised chapter.**


	3. Chapter 2 - Birth of New Bonds

**Veriqi does not own Pokémon. He can dream though.**

 **If you like this story, don't forget to review as well as fav/follow.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2 – Birth of New Bonds**

 _by Veriqi_

* * *

Ash was over the moon. He had yet to put away the pokéball containing his new pidgeotto, and he was still grinning like an idiot. It was only by pure miracle he was not actively jumping around and screaming about it to the world. Because he had caught his first Pokémon, and he was allowed to act the fool.

They had continued up Route 1 after finishing their lunches, and Ash hoped they would reach Viridian City before dusk. He had visited the city when he was younger and could remember enough details to know how close it was, even if he would be stumped if asked to describe the way. His sense of direction was poor, but his sense of distance had never let him down.

Pikachu was still trotting along, keeping pace with his trainer as they walked. Ash was overjoyed with the fact that his partner had actually obeyed him in the battle against Pidgeotto, believing it to be a sign of progress. Most trainers would be confused over such an abrupt change and wonder what reason the pokémon in question had for suddenly deciding to listen to his trainer, but Ash did not even think of it. He preferred to just accept the good in life, without deconstructing the motives behind it.

"We make a good team Pi, eh?" Ash spoke up, still with the grin on his face.

The electric mouse looked over, one ear cocked in confusion at the nickname.

"It's just short for Pikachu. Like something friends call each other," Ash said. "Some trainer's give their pokémon full nicknames. I can give you real one, if you want…?"

Pikachu gently shook his head.

"What I mean is," Ash said, returning to the original point, "we really did well together. I was told you were strong but, wow! You just _destroyed_ Pidgeotto back there, _and_ you managed to learn a new move on top. Just awesome!"

Pikachu looked somewhat bewildered.

"Believe me, I'm really happy to have you with me!" the trainer proclaimed.

Pikachu's expression was hard to read, several emotions flickering through his dark eyes before he went back to staring at the road. That is, until Ash decided to stop. Pikachu sat back on his rear paws and looked up at his trainer expectantly.

"The storm…" Ash said slowly, staring at the dark clouds by the horizon. While the weather had been clear the entire morning, the grey mass had made steady progress over the hours and like divided the heavens were split between the sunny blue and shadowed blackness.

Pikachu eyes travelled up, face showing a sense of… dread? Ash remembered something about the dangers of an exposed electric-type during thunderstorms, and wondered if the warning applied to Pikachu as well. He realised with a start that he had yet to actually scan his starter, but as the more immediate worry took precedence, he postponed it for later.

"Come, we have to hurry!" he said, picking up the pace. Pikachu quickly followed as they ran down the path towards Viridian and prospective cover.

* * *

The river pokémon were not so eager to bite any longer.

The redhead sighed, pulling in the lure for the last time that day while she nervously glanced towards the rapidly approaching clouds. She knew how to read the weather and had known of the storm since early in the morning, but she had kept on fishing, caught up as she always was in the activity. The goal of catching a new pokémon before she had to leave was in hindsight not that good of an idea, especially not since she was naturally hard-headed.

The only pokémon she had pulled up at all had been a real unlucky one – a Gyarados, an irate one at that, and she really should have seen it as a sign. She had been forced to run for her life while the atrocious Pokémon devoured her bike, which she still was mad about, and she hoped the overgrown snake would get a horrible stomach-ache from it. A vicious, _painful_ stomach-ache. And that it would be swept out to sea by the spring flood and get eaten by Kyogre, while still not recovered from the stomach-ache.

She never claimed to be a forgiving person.

As she put her rod into compact mode and stuffed it down her bag, she once again looked up at the dark front of rain. She could have reached Viridian City in time if she still had her bike, but as she did not, she had to run. Just as she finished checking that she had all her belongings, she noticed a boy come running down the path, accompanied by a Pikachu that bounded by his side. He looked like a trainer, and a new one at that.

"Hey! Do you know how far it is to Viridian?" the boy called as he got closer and started to jog in place.

"Twenty minutes, maybe more," she replied, zipping up her bag, "which is longer than it will take for those clouds to reach us, so you better leg it."

"What about you?" the boy asked.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" she shot back. Was he completely brain-dead? "I'm not gonna stay here if that's what you believe, but since you show so much _concern_ … mind if I tag along?"

"…No! No problem!" He said, apparently missing the sarcasm. "Just try keep up!"

"You're telling _me_?" she huffed, starting to run side by side. "Let me show you what we swimmers are capable of on land."

"Swimmer? You're a," he paused for breath, "swimmer?" Another breath, "What's your name?"

"…Misty," She said. Hopefully, he would not ask for more.

"Well, I'm Ash Ketchum!" the boy joyfully replied. "I'm a Pokémon trainer! What're you?"

"Breath… needed for…running," she managed. "Talk later!"

"Good… idea!" he forced out, keeping pace surprisingly well with her. She did not expect him to last long, but he had far better stamina than most rookie trainers she had met. And he was remarkably easy to talk to.

If this day had taught her anything, it was why not to use a Super Rod on Route 1. That was just asking for trouble.

* * *

When Pikachu, his trainer and the girl they had picked up on the way had reached the Pokémon Center, they had been soaked to the bone. The nurse woman who manned the counter had showed a lot of concern for them and had immediately offered food and rooms, which both humans had accepted. Before heading to freshen up though, the boy had dropped of his pokémon for a quick recovery – where Pikachu had been oddly touched by his trainer's request for him to remain outside his pokéball – and was back in a dry set of clothes by the time Pikachu and Pidgeotto were recovered. They had then headed off to for some food, and had claimed a table by the window in the otherwise empty cafeteria.

Hunger was an effective deterrent for any conversation, as the boy practically inhaled his food, Pidgeotto gobbled down hers with all the finesse of a bird and Pikachu himself watched the storm outside while he nibbled on a kibble, deep in thought. A distant memory surfaced of his first thunderstorm, where a cousin of his had been struck by a lightning bolt and succinctly freaked out all the other new hatchlings at the time. He had been unharmed, but it had taught the rest of them to seek cover every time a storm approached.

After finishing his dish, something he had referred to as Chāhan, Ash wiped his mouth with a sleeve and stood.

"I have to call some people," he explained and hastily left in the direction of the phone booths. Pidgeotto barely paused in her eating to nod, while Pikachu only glanced over before a flash of lightning made him look back to the dark clouds in the sky.

Was it strange some things never lost their impact regardless of how often you saw it? Lightning had fascinated ever since his youngest days, and it had driven him on the path he had come to choose in life. And he had achieved it, gained control of his electricity and evolved as a bonus. But what now?

" _You appear thoughtful,"_ Pidgeotto suddenly spoke up, having finished with her bowl while he internally mused over his problem. _"You are aware of the inner turmoil I saw for myself earlier. And you appear to have acknowledged it."_

" _It was you who made me see it,"_ Pikachu replied. _"And now I know I can't run from it any longer like I've been doing."_

He paused, thinking it over. Mastering his own powers had been his main concern for a long time, and now that he at least had the rudimentary control he had strived for it left him empty and void of purpose. He supposed he could go beyond that, but for what reason?

This had been a long time coming.

" _I thought I had a dream,"_ he mumbled out loud, _"that I had a good life …"_

" _Don't let others decide what is a 'good' life,"_ Pidgeotto gently interjected. _"Life is only as purposeful as you yourself make it."_

Pikachu looked up. _"That's not what I meant. I was saying that I wrongly believed I was happy."_

She said nothing, giving him the time he needed to formulate his thoughts.

" _I always wanted something more out of life those around me, and was shunned for it. I thought that if I left, then it would be free to pursue my own dreams… but now I realise I never had any to begin with."_ His tail twitched, its shape and size a reminder of the change he had gone through. _"Even evolving was just a need I had, not something I aspired for. I'm an aimless drifter, without home, friends or… any reason to be."_

Pidgeotto regarded him carefully.

" _My brethren become pidgeotto, and potentially pidgeot, by learning and experiencing life. It works differently for your kind, does it not?"_

" _Yeah. Si– I was told by someone we evolve by 'finding our way', which I was told meant that we had to be resolved about our goals–"_

" _Yet here you are."_

"– _well, that or some sort of destiny thing,"_ he amended. He smiled wryly. _"And apparently, I somehow did it. Beats me when, though…"_

" _Think,"_ Pidgeotto prompted, seemingly… knowing, but like she wanted him to work it out himself. _"Such a life-deciding event should leave an imprint. If you look back, I am sure you can find it."_

Pikachu blinked, doubtful of the idea. However, Pidgeotto looked expectant, so he closed his eyes to mentally review the past few days. Starting this morning and working backwards, he dedicated much thought into how the separate instances had affected him.

The memory of whatever had happened when he bit into that cord where anything but pleasant, and he knew that experience had scarred him in more ways than one. But while connected to his evolution, he did not think it was the one that had enabled it, and so rewinded further. He tried to remember every detail, and was startlingly reminded of what had occurred on the beach yesterday.

When he had met the boy, now his trainer… that moment had affected him. In hindsight, it was obvious, but Pikachu was too blown away by the realisation to try and make excuses for forgetting it. It was like everything suddenly clicked; it suddenly just made _sense_.

And he be caught if the entire situation did not scream 'fate!', but the facts were clear…

" _I think I got it,"_ he breathed.

" _What convinces you?"_

Pikachu opened his eyes. _"Because every minute I've spent with him has made me see the loneliness I've felt. I have got to know what it feels like to have a trusted comrade by my back under his leadership, and learned to accept his help to make us both stronger._ _I believe if there was a destiny intended for me… then this could be it. And I can't help but feel this is just_ right _for me."_

" _I still don't know if I'm completely sold on the whole trainer format, but if there was a destiny intended for me… then I think this might be it."_

Pidgeotto nodded. _"Then listen to your heart, and it won't lead you astray."_

Pikachu was silent for a long while.

"… _Thanks,"_ he finally said awkwardly. _"You've already helped me so much, and I've no idea why… but I am glad I'll be able to continue onwards with you as my teammate. And maybe, as a friend?"_

Pidgeotto smiled. Her beak did not allow for the motion, but she somehow managed to convey despite her expressive limitations.

" _I would be honoured,"_ she declared. _"And following the structure of a team, I already appear to have my own place in it. If I'm to continue to help guide lost hatchlings on the way, then it is only proper of me to be the team mother."_

" _Hey! Who's the one that beat you back in that clearing…!"_

Pikachu did not express his gratitude in words, but he knew he did not need to. She could see it in his eyes.

* * *

"So, you've made it to Viridian, have you?" Oak said.

Ash grinned at the screen displaying his face. "I'm calling you now, aren't I?"

"I guess that's true," Oak amended, "and I'm glad to hear you managed to get there in time. Remaining outside in this weather would be… inadvisable."

"Because of the lightning?" Ash asked.

"If memory serves, Route 1 do have some stretches of road where the altitude and lack of vegetation would put most travellers at risk. Especially if you're walking right next to a living Lightning conductor."

Ash winced. "Yeah, when you put it that way…"

"Either way, you made it and you seem fine, so it's nothing to worry about. I just hope you had some time to enjoy the first day of your journey, which reminds me…" Oak suddenly looked very interested. "Tell me, my boy… did you happen to catch any pokémon?"

"Sure thing Professor! Why'd you ask?"

"Oh, no reason." The smug way the professor rubbed his hands despite his dismissive claim told Ash there was _something_ he was missing. "May I know what it was?"

"A pidgeotto," Ash said, "and she's a tough girl. But Pikachu managed to defeat her!"

Oak chuckled.

"It appears I did the right thing when I entrusted it to you. Is he listening to you?"

"Yeah, he obeyed me through the entire battle. We're gonna be best pals in no time!"

"Marvellous! I hope you'll keep me updated on your progress, and remember to call your mother as well–"

"Already have," Ash interrupted. "Mom would never forgive me if I didn't."

"Good! I thank you on behalf of Pallet." The professor said, pure relief evident in his entire bearing.

"…What do you mean?"

"You wouldn't know. She has been more or less jumping of the walls the entire day, so worried for you that she could not calm down. The neighbours were understanding, but she was so up in arms the entire town was _praying_ for you to phone her so she would calm down–"

Ash felt his face grow warm.

"–and you're lucky she didn't get the idea to follow you! She considered it, so she could keep track of your journey more closely. Delia sure care about your wellbeing…"

"…She was really happy when we talked before…" Ash said weakly.

"She is, let me tell you that much."

Ash nodded distractedly. "Ah, well… I gotta go Professor! I'll call you some time again!"

"I can't wait. Keep care Ash." The screen went black as the call ended.

As Ash returned to the table. His pokémon were caught up in some conversation between each other, but turned to meet their trainer when he approached. Ash grinned. _Their_ trainer. "Hey, you all full?"

Pidgeotto chirped, and Pikachu quickly nibbled down the last of his kibbles before also giving an affirmative.

"Like to do some training?"

Both Pokémon looked bewildered. "Why would you want to train in this weather?"

Ash spun around. "Misty, Hi! Well… I actually forgot about the rain," he confessed, rubbing his neck.

"How did you forget it's storming outside?"

"…I got excited?" Ash tried.

"…Right." Her tone sounded flat. "Have you eaten already?"

"Yeah. Sorry. I didn't think you wanted to join us."

"I don't mind. I just wanted some company." Misty glanced over at the serving station. "By the way, have you seen they serve Aspear tarts as dessert?"

Ash's eyes widened. "No way! There's dessert?!"

The corner of Misty's mouth twitched in amusement. "Yes, they do. Like to get some? So you don't have to watch me eat."

"Sure!"

* * *

Misty was unsure of what to think of the new trainer. He may be about the same age as her, but she felt much older most of the time in his company. Their conversation had quickly moved on from the usual small-talk to more personal questions, wherein they both got to learn a bit about each other. Misty had told him she came from Cerulean City (which he said was cool) and that she specialised as a water-type trainer (which he thought was awesome), and he had in turn told her about his home in Pallet Town and his pokémon journey, which he had left for just earlier in the day. He had also told her of his dream to become a Pokémon Master, which she thought was kind of a zealous goal for a rookie, but she was not going to judge.

He was happy, blunt as well as inherently enthusiastic about everything, all the time. He did not need much prompting to start talking about his thoughts or his dreams or his life in general, while she preferred not to voice her own and instead focused on her food. Despite it all, he was the type of person who grew on you, and she finally concluded that he was at least tolerable. Fine, he was not so bad, all things considered.

"So, where are you going next?" she asked him as he chattered on about his first impression of the Pokémon Center.

"The closest town with a gym," he said, "which I think was Pewter City. So I'll try to move out as soon as the storm ends."

Misty decided not to correct him on the 'closest gym'. His plans proved to align with her own, as she had recently decided that there were a few things she needed to collect from home.

"I'm heading in the same direction," she began. "It'd be… _boring_ to walk through Viridian Forest by myself, so I'd be up for someone else to travel with. Preferably some strong, skilled gentleman in the immediate vicinity–"

Ash grinned wildly, catching on.

"–but as someone befitting of that description is unavailable, I'll take what I get. Feel like travelling together?"

She could possibly have phrased that better, but she was prone to fall back on sarcasm and scathing commentary when nervous. It often resulted in many bad, first impressions. Her sisters sometimes joked that if she had not fallen in love with water-types, she would fit right in with poison-types due to her acidic tongue.

"Hey!"

"Chill out, I'm only joking." Misty hastily amended, "I'm only suggesting we travel together until Pewter, then we can go our own separate ways. Besides, I could give you some pointers as a more experienced trainer…" Ash did look interested in that.

"Well, I think I'm great as I am, but it can't hurt, can it? Sure, I'll travel with you! Wanna leave tomorrow?"

"Sound good," Misty said. "How about we meet here at nine?"

Ash easily agreed, and they continued to talk for a little longer before retiring for the night. Ash did annoy Misty at times, but practically everyone did that, so she concluded that you could find far worse travelling companions than Ash Ketchum.

It was only for as long it took to traverse the forest anyway, so it did not really matter in the end.

* * *

It was still raining the next morning, but it was more of a drizzle than the downpour which had continued long though the night. Ash briefly wondered if it was supposed to rain so much this time of the year, although it did explain why the Pallet River always became so wild during spring.

He tried to make his bed but gave up and instead assisted Pikachu in scratching himself behind the ear. The satisfied squeak made the trainer smile, and he enjoyed the soft fur under his fingers. Yesterday, Pikachu would not have let him do that.

"Okay, time to go. Are you– Whoa!"

Pikachu used his claws to climb up Ash's body, spiralling around his torso before settling himself on his shoulder. Lightly grasping the jacket for balance, Pikachu let out a smug squeak.

"…Pikachu?"

He nudged at him to start walking.

"Fine then. But don't think I'll let you slack off because of this," Ash sniffed. Pikachu snickered.

Misty was nowhere in sight as they entered the cafeteria. It was still about ten minutes before they were supposed to meet, and Ash sat down by one of the tables to wait.

Two minutes later, he was up again and pacing down the aisle.

"When's she gonna come?" he muttered. Patience had never been one of his strongest virtues. "Why are girls so much slower?" Pikachu muttered something which might have been an agreement.

Ash was technically early, but he had been taught to show up slightly before the set time. And after the disaster of yesterday, he had no want of a repeat despite how everything had turned out fine then.

Pikachu suddenly squeaked, and he glanced over at the mouse on his shoulder.

"What is it, Pi?"

His partner pointed.

Ash looked out the window, and a grin overtook his face.

"Great! The rain's gone!"

The drizzle seemed to get even fainter as they watched, and they could see the sunlight beginning to break through the clouds. Ash hurried outside with Pikachu clinging on to his shoulder all the way. The final drops fell just as he exited the building, and he enjoyed the feeling of the sun touching his face while the dark patches of sky disappeared under its warmth.

His thoughts were broken by an unfamiliar caw that echoed through the sky. He looked around, trying to find the cause on the strangely empty street, and he finally looked up, and gaped.

The pokémon in the sky was majestic, and the word did not really do it justice. Its feathers shone in every colour of the rainbow, the glow trailing after as the slow beats of its wings slowly carried it over the firmament. The clouds seemed to scatter as if banished by its very presence, and Ash was fully ready to believe it was.

It was the most magnificent Pokémon the ten-year-old had ever seen.

"…There you are!" a familiar voice called as they stepped through the automated doors. "Too eager to wait for me, were you? Well, lucky for you, I saw you through the window and let me tell you–"

"Misty! You're not gonna believe– look! Look, there!" he rambled, waving his arm in the direction of the magnificent pokémon.

Misty looked. She glanced back at him, unimpressed.

"Yeah, it's a very beautiful rainbow Ash, but I don't see why you're so excited about it."

"No, no! Not the _rainbow_!" Ash exclaimed. "The _pokémon_ – the golden bird flying towards the mountains!"

Misty raised one eyebrow, and she studied the sky where Ash had indicated for several seconds. Ash's eyes flicked between her and the bird, seeing it grow smaller and smaller by the horizon.

"Are you seeing things Ash? Cause I'm sure not." She shrugged, seemingly dismissing the whole thing. "How about time we leave?"

She started walking, trusting he would follow shortly. Ash looked back towards the east, trying to catch a last glimpse of the pokémon, but to no avail. It had already disappeared.

"Did you see that, Pikachu?"

The mouse nodded with a faraway look. He was clearly as affected as his trainer.

"I guess we should catch up with–" Ash cut himself of as something caught his eye. "Wait, what…?"

A small object slowly came drifting on the wind, carried through the sky like a ship by the waves. It slowly descended to land with air-light grace on a suspiciously dry spot of pavement, less than three steps away from him. As he walked over, he recognized the item as a feather, but it was unlike any he had seen before. It had the same glow to it as the pokémon he had seen, although dimmer, and was a burning red that faded into green by the tip. As he picked it up, he felt a tingle in his fingers much like he would by warming his fingers in front of a fire, and he dazedly turned it in his hand.

It was special for sure, but what was it? He studied the feather, silently remarking that it deserved a better name than that. A silent whisper told him.

"A… Rainbow Wing?" he said uncertainly, startling Pikachu.

" _Hey_!"

Ash jumped, spinning in place to stare wild-eyed at Misty, who was giving him the stinky-eye.

"Are you coming or not?" she said angrily. "Get moving, Ketchum! I want to get as far as we can before it gets dark."

Ash, mightily confused, watched as she stomped away in the direction of Viridian Forest, the concrete somehow being able to handle the rough treatment. He carefully placed the Rainbow Wing in his jacket's inner pocket, making a mental note to find a better place for it later.

"Hey, Misty! Wait for me!" he cried as he took off after her, the weird encounter with the pokémon already forgotten. The concerns of everyday life returned, problems regarding more down-to-earth matters such as worrisome bugs, pokémon training and who in the world would cook dinner that night.

Viridian Forest laid before them, the first of many trials to come on the journey for an aspiring Pokémon Master.

* * *

 **End of Chapter**

* * *

 ***Ch** **āhan:** a common dish in Japan that basically consists of fried rice with a lot of seasoning.

 ***Aspear Tarts:** an in-universe equivalent of Pear Tarts, a sort of dessert that is highly popular in Japan.

* * *

 **[AN]: Enter Misty!**

 **I hope she's more likeable than early canon. It's a challenge to keep everyone in character while toning down their anime-personas for the written format. Of course, I still interpret them differently and/or tweak them somewhat if I think it improves the story (hey, it's an AU).**

 **Her poor bike. I've seen that bike electrocuted, crushed, turned into dust... and who knew they were a Gyarados delicacy?**

 **It's taking it's time, I know. I have some ideas for how to twist the story further on, but this bit isn't exactly twistable so... bear with me, all of you who decided to fav and follow. Thank you for your support.**

 **Until next time.**

 **[EDIT 2017/11/20]: Revised chapter.**


	4. Chapter 3 - Widening our Views

**Veriqi does not own Pokémon.**

 **If you like this story: fav, follow and review. You're also welcome to do it if you don't.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3 – Widening our Views**

 _by Veriqi_

* * *

Viridian Forest certainly lived up to its name.

The thick trees grew densely, their branches weaving a thick roof that cast the forest below into a semi-permanent state of dusk. Barely any sunlight reached the ground, and what little did was filtered by the foliage into a springy, green glow. The ground was covered by even more leaves, a layer of dead and rotting material that stifled the underbrush and made the path even harder to see than it already was. The trail, for it was not befitting of being called a road, was narrow and winding, oftentimes growing unclear and sometimes disappearing completely, which was not helping them to keep on track at all.

And then there was the bugs. Misty was apparently scared by them, which Ash found hilarious. How could she be afraid of such small pokémon that were not even dangerous to humans? Relative as that opinion might be, most of the wildlife in Viridian Forest was mostly unharmful if not provoked.

"Hey, is that a scyther?"

Misty's shriek of terror echoed through the woods. Ash was really enjoying this.

"I can't believe you did that!" the jittery girl hollered. "Making fun of someone like this…! You're such a rotter, you know that?!"

"…What's that crawling up your leg?"

"Real funny Ash, I'm not falling for that agai _aaaAAAH_!"

She frantically kicked in the air and managed to dislodge the weedle, sending the larvae sailing away among the trees. Breathing heavily, she glared at him with a murderous glint in her eyes.

"I tried to tell you…" Ash tried to placate her.

"Well, have some tact! It's not my fault I don't like bugs, so you shouldn't make fun of it! Have some tact!"

"I have tact," Ash said, affronted, "and you don't 'dislike' bugs, you're afraid of them."

Ash, meet irony…

"I'm going to remember this, and then I'll laugh at you when you're scared!"

"I'm never afraid," Ash said with all the conviction he could muster. As a prepubescent boy, that was a lot. "And girls are scared of everything, so it's funny."

"You don't have the balls to go through even half of what I've done, Ash Ketchum!" Misty bristled.

"I do!" the trainer declared, holding out a pokéball. "And enough of them, too!"

Misty gave him a disbelieving look, then batted the 'ball out of his hand. She thrust a finger into his chest and hissed, "Did your mother drop you on your head when you were small? Because there _has_ to be a reason for someone this stupid to be alive!"

"Hey! She said it was just the one time–"

Their argument was cut short by a click and, as they turned, a flash signifying a successful capture by the pokéball that had landed nearby.

"…Huh?" was their collective reactions.

There was a pause.

"So, wonder what I caught?"

* * *

 **Caterpie, a bug-type pokémon. The antennae on its head releases a horrible stench to repel predators. While it is small, its voracious appetite compels it to eat leaves much larger than itself in preparation for evolution.**

Caterpie blinked. Had he been… caught? He never believed it would happen as many trainers either ignored him or went after bigger Caterpie with more potential, but it had happened. Did this mean he was wanted? That he was special enough for someone to pay attention to him?

" _Eeek_! Get that thing away from me!"

Oh.

"Come on Misty! How can you be scared of such a cute thing?"

The second was less condescending. Caterpie thought he was a boy, and he watched warily as the human sat down on his haunches to get on the worm's level.

"Hi little guy. Well, _are_ you a guy?" he asked. Caterpie nodded, perplexed. "Great! So, you might wonder what's going on. It's like this – I might've dropped a 'ball and… kind of caught you by mistake–"

That hurt to hear.

"–but I'd still like to have you on my team! If we're meant to be together, then you have to be an awesome pokémon.

And _that_ made Caterpie confused. What was going on?

A pikachu leapt down from the human's shoulder. Caterpie immediately grew incredibly anxious – Pikachu generally ate berries, but they _could_ also eat meat if an opportunity presented itself. Like defenceless bugs right in front of them.

"… _Hi!"_ the Pikachu finally said, _"Nice to meet you! Hope we'll get along"_

He still wanted to flee, but that sentence alone told him the mouse was not hungry at least.

Pikachu scrunched up his nose. _"Sorry to ask, but… could you please turn that down? It's a bit much."_

Caterpie startled. _"Sorry!"_ The smell was a result of his nervousness, and he tried to supress it. This was slightly embarrassing, if this was to be his new teammate.

" _Thanks. It was getting a bit much,"_ Pikachu sighed in relief as the stench abated somewhat. _"No offence."_

" _It's nothing…"_

The boy pulled out a pokéball and spoke to it, "Did you hear? We got a new teammate, so how about you come out and greet him? Go, Pidgeotto!"

Caterpie stared.

The living incarnation of his nightmares stared back, with wicked talons made to tear the target to shreds, a hooked beak shaped to rip into the prey and a savage glint in her eyes that held no mercy.

All things considered, introductions could have gone better.

* * *

"Okay, I admit that was a bad idea."

"A 'bad idea'?" Misty muttered. "Letting out a _bird_ to meet a _bug_ was pure stupidity! You're lucky Pikachu managed to stop her in time!"

Pidgeotto was busy apologising profusely to the terrified Caterpie, although it was doubtful he was actually listening as he was, well… _terrified_.

"Yeah…" Ash whimpered.

"Well… if anything, we learned our pokémon are starving. How about we–" she shuddered "–stop for lunch?"

"Sounds good," he agreed. Maybe Caterpie would calm down if he saw that Pidgeotto had something else to eat. It did not hurt to be optimistic.

After pulling out the bowls and filling them with kibbles, he sat down to convince Caterpie that was what they were going to eat and, no, he was not going to be eaten and, no, there were none of his kind in it. After much coaxing, Ash finally got him to try some and the caterpillar fortunately seemed to accept it.

Maybe it was bit ridiculous that he was feeding packaged food to a pokémon that normally ate leaves, in the middle of the forest, but Ash wanted to send a message. Caterpie was now a part of his team and would eat with everybody else, without having to get his own food.

When the pokémon were settled over their bowls, he returned to Misty and sat down to retrieve his own sandwiches from his bag. "So… how long does it take to get through this place?"

Misty adopted a thoughtful expression. "It's actually not too far. If there was no forest in the way, it would probably take about two days of travel. But as it is, it generally takes about three-four days, possibly five if we don't find the shortest path." She paused, then added, "And at the rate we've been making progress, I'd say it will take at least five for us. I doubt this is the quickest route."

"Then we got some time to find some other pokémon!" Ash cheered, and Misty sagged.

"Huh, good luck with that. Sans caterpie, there's not much else here." Her face twisted in disgust. "Well, there's weedle. And I've heard there's a chance to find pikachu here, but since you already have one…"

"I guess…"

Ash suddenly jumped, and pulled out his pokédex. Pointing it at Pikachu, he listened as the electronical voice spoke.

 **Pikachu, an electric-type pokémon, as well as the evolved form of pichu. It generates and stores electricity in the pouches on its cheeks, which it discharges if startled. It can also share electricity with other pikachu that are feeling weak.**

Misty looked bewildered. "Why did you do that?"

"I just remembered," Ash told her, "so I thought I should do it before I forget it again."

"You… forgot to scan your _starter_?" she asked, staring. " _How_?"

"Well, first I had other things to think about," he began, "Then I remembered, but had to run from the storm, then I forgot, and when I went to bed I remembered again but I couldn't bother, and I-"

" _Stop_!" Misty exclaimed, waving her hand that was not holding her now-poured mug. "I get it! You forgot until now!"

"Then why did you ask?"

"It was a rhetorical question."

"What's 'rhetorical'?"

"Nothing important. I was just surprised. Most trainers I've met tend to point their 'dex at everything they see, and believe it or not, I once met a guy who tried to scan _me_ –"

"…'Dex'?

"Yeah, what about it?"

"No, I just… liked it. 'Pokédex' is such a long name and so official, so I'd like to call it something else, and I thought 'dex'…ter. Dexter, that sounds good!"

Misty shook her head. "Only you would find 'Pokédex" a mouthful…"

"Hey, I know big words!"

"None greater than 'big'…"

"Shut up!"

* * *

Caterpie tried to understand all of the new things happening around him. It was a lot to keep up with, being caught, meeting new teammates and getting used to this new kind of food.

" _Are you okay?"_ Pikchu, who had defended him – him! – against the great bird opposite his own bowl, asked.

"… _Yeah…"_ he squeaked.

" _Would you like to eat alone? You seem scared of me."_

Pidgeotto coughed awkwardly. _"I believe you are not the problem here, little shocker."_

Pikachu amended, _"Is she scaring you? Or is it the… memory?"_

"… _Yeah,"_ Caterpie said, flinching slightly.

" _Well, you know what?"_ Pikachu said. _"If she looks like she is gonna flip out again, just tell me, and I'll Thunder Wave her again, got it?"_

Caterpie nodded.

"… _You did not have to do that you know…"_ Pidgeotto grumbled. _"You could have just told me."_

" _No, I couldn't,"_ Pikachu shook his head, frowning. _"I've seen that look before, when I ran into one of your brethren. You get all focused, like only you and the target exists. I don't know what it is, but let me tell you… its's not fun being the target."_

Pidgeotto looked horrified. _"Great Guardian, I'm–"_

" _It wasn't you,"_ Pikachu brushed it off, and Pidgeotto's expression turned unreadable. _"I ended up zapping him in the face by pure luck. He is never gonna attack an electric-type that carelessly again."_

" _Yes, but still–"_

They were cut off by the odd-sounding box their trainer carried with him, the one which apparently knew about his osmeterium and his eating habits. But now, it instead told them about his new teammate – Pikachu, and Caterpie was astonished by the way they could transfer their own electricity to those in need.

" _You can do that?"_ he asked Pikachu in awe.

He looked embarrassed. _"I had_ heard _we could do that, but I didn't actually know it was a real thing…"_

Caterpie looked up at him. His own species lived on their own and only cared for themselves, until their final evolution when they gathered in large flights that migrated around the world. The idea of a species with the inherent ability to assist weaker friends as such sounded incredible.

" _That makes you a helper,"_ he said, and Pikachu looked surprised. _"Like you helped me – you're the first 'mon to ever be nice to me, and you protected me from her."_

" _A deep assessment,"_ Pidgeotto said after a stunned silence. _"Who knows, you might actually have the Keen Eye in you."_ A pause. _"Although if you did, it would obviously not be as good as mine."_

She puffed up her chest, effortlessly presenting the picture of a proud bird with a flick of her plume.

" _I hope he doesn't,"_ Pikachu muttered, _"or else he might also grow an ego to match. And we already have enough of that."_

" _You've got to have some appreciation for yourself,"_ she shot back.

"… _That's adoration, what you have,"_ Pikachu quipped.

Pidgeotto gave him a look, although the glint of amusement in her eye betrayed her amusement. _"Watch it rodent, or I might have to show you the way pidgeot mothers punish disobedient children."_

" _Like you showed me in our fight? I wasn't the one who ended up in a furrow."_

" _Only because you kept spamming Thunder Shocks at me like you had the hiccups. Is it the only move you know?"_

" _Well, no, but as our new teammate here can attest to, Thunder Wave makes beating you laughably easy."_

Pidgeotto muttered something about today's hatchlings and the lack of respect towards their elders.

Caterpie felt himself smiling. He rather liked these changes. He just needed to process all the insanity of today.

* * *

The first two days in Viridian Forest crawled on, and Ash finally took some pity on Misty by shooing away the bugs that came close. Misty would have been appreciative of it had not the male trainer gone and _caught_ a bug, and was to boot letting it out constantly as he wanted to 'bond' with it, or whatever. It was only right that he made up for it.

As they tried following the trail to the best of their ability, Misty thought over what she had seen of Ash and his pokémon as of yet. While a starting trainer could – _possibly_ – be worse of in the knowledge department, she had the feeling there was several points in his strategy that the boy was overlooking.

Who was she kidding? The guy had no sense for strategy at all. It was the reason why Misty finally brought up the point she had been mulling over.

"Ash… how do you intend to beat the Pewter gym?"

The boy grinned. "Well, Pikachu and Pidgeotto are really strong, so I think they'll be able to beat whatever the gym leader throws at us!"

Misty suspected he had not bothered to do any research for the gym. The gym leader tended to use throws of a certain type, but Ash gave no indication of being aware of it.

"Do you know what type the gym leader specialize in?"

"No, but why does that matter?"

Misty momentarily lost her voice at the genius of the so called 'Pokémon Master'.

"…Tell me you know about type effectiveness at least."

"Well, yeah. Fire is good against grass and grass is good against water… How so?"

"Pewter City's gym leader uses rock-types," she explained, very patiently if she said so herself. "And you have a Pikachu, a Pidgeotto and a Caterpie."

She studied him for any sign of realisation.

"Yeah… so?"

"Pidgeotto, as a flying-type, is quite brittle – she is _weak_ to rock, and worse, she can't really do any damage as they resist her attacks as well. She will honestly be no good there."

Ash's look hardened. "I think you're underestimating her. And otherwise, I still have Pikachu."

"He will be _worthless_!" Misty exclaimed.

" _Hey_!" Ash shot back, enraged. "Don't insult Pikachu!"

The mouse in question similarly gave her a dirty look.

"I'm not being insulting – I'm saying he won't be able to _do_ anything against them. Since all rock-types in Kanto are also ground-type, it means he could keep shocking them all day and they wouldn't even feel it. Listen to me Ash – if you just run in there, you'll never achieve anything and just end up getting your pokémon hurt. Do you want that?"

Ash looked crushed at the notion, not even trying to argue. His eyes settled on the road, and it took a while before he responded.

"What do you suggest I do?"

Misty felt triumphant at getting through his thick head, but also felt some guilt for smashing his hopes in such a way. While his cheery personality did get annoying, it was far preferable to a despondent Ash.

"Well… you could always catch a better match–" she began.

"No."

"…What?"

He came to a stop, and his face settled into a frown.

"I just don't like the idea. Catching new pokémon for that reason doesn't feel right for the ones I already have." His eyes met hers, and she was startled by the fire that burned in them. "It's like I'm betraying them by doing it. I'm telling them they're not good enough, just because I don't think they would be able to beat my opponent. If I don't believe in my pokémon, then what kind of trainer am I?"

Misty was stunned. She did not agree on every point, but felt her respect for the trainer from Pallet Town rise considerably. Any person with such principles deserved it.

Pikachu was touched by his trainer's words. It looked like he wanted to comfort his trainer, but refrained at the last moment.

"You're saying," Ash continued, "that my team isn't ready for the gym. Then tell me how to make them ready for it. I'm not going to become a Pokémon Master if I can't even defeat the first gym!"

Misty thought about it. She ridiculed him for his lack of knowledge and overall impulsiveness, but did that not mean she as the more experienced trainer should offer her help? She tried to imagine herself in Ash's position. Rock-type pokémon were incredibly hardy and held an overwhelming resistance against everything he could bring to the table. The most obvious thing would be to…

"How about nullifying that advantage?" she whispered, realisation dawning on her. Ash's interest was evident, as was his partner's.

"I think Pikachu can learn Iron Tail," she explained, "and Pidgeotto should be able to learn Steel Wing. Both are steel-type moves, which rock is weak to, so you would be able to damage them more effectively."

Ash looked surprised. "Steel-type? But they're not steel-type pokémon!"

"No, they aren't, but that doesn't mean they can't learn how to use moves that are not of their own type. They won't be able to match a steel-type using the same move, but as long as it's advantageous it doesn't really matter." It was a usual misconception for beginning trainers, and for once she did not grow annoyed at the boy's obliviousness.

"Great!" Ash had regained his usual bearing, eyes sparkling with excitement. "So, how do we teach them those moves?"

"Well, they don't usually learn them in the wild," Misty said with a frown. "They have to be tutored, and since steel is an unfamiliar type, it will be hard for them to use it."

She paused, then added, "We'll also only have a couple of days before we reach Pewter City, and since none of us have any experience with this they may not master their moves in time."

"Well, we'll just have to train even harder." Ash looked over at Pikachu. "You up for it, buddy?"

Pikachu smirked, eager to learn a new move.

"Then let's get started!"

* * *

Pikachu was growing fractious. Why did it not want to work?

After finding a clearing sufficient for their purposes, Misty had set out to brief Pikachu and Pidgeotto on how to use steel-type energy. Her explanation how to do it had been sketchy, but the demonstration by Staryu using Gyro Ball had been far more enlightening. Pikachu had never met any that species before and had been intrigued to do so, but the starfish had disappointingly turned out to be a complete tool. He was soon distracted as he tried to get down Iron Tail.

Pikachu had claimed an unsuspecting boulder in the clearing as a training dummy, and had imagined it to be a pesky geodude as he started bashing at it, but was as of yet unsuccessful with generating any steel-type energy. Generating any foreign element was hard, more so for a species with a shallow move pool like his, and Pikachu was not turning out to have any talent for it. It made him

Pidgeotto swept by overhead, her Wing Attack in the process of gaining a metal sheen, and Pikachu was disgruntled by the sight. Would it always be his lot in life to see those around him succeed in his own endeavours far before him? He worked hard, first with his electricity and now this new move, but why did it never seem to pay off?

Why was he unable to do it…?

As he continued to viciously attack the rock, his flying-type teammate pulled into a Wingover and went in for a landing, careful as to not scare Caterpie while he worked with Ash by the side of the clearing. She perched on a stone next to him, and watched dispassionately as he continued with his efforts, resentment growing all the while.

" _Having some difficulties?"_ she finally asked, politely.

" _What does it look like?"_ he shot back, intensifying his assault on the stone. He had almost carved off all the moss by now, but had yet to even scratch it.

" _You appear rather miffed,"_ she observed. _"I can understand your frustration."_

Pikachu gave up with beating the still-unharmed rock, hunched over and breathing heavily.

" _I'm furious! This move–! I just can't get it to_ work _!"_ he exclaimed, slamming his tail into the ground with finality. It did not really help the tender feeling in it, but he needed to vent the anger _somehow_.

She hummed in thought. _"Well… If you try to imagine sharpness, hardening-"_

" _Pidgeotto,"_ Pikachu sighed, using the name the humans constantly referred her to, _"I've had this explained to me several times already, and I'm not making any more progress. I know you mean well, but… please, you're not helping."_

Pidgeotto, the sharp-eyed bird that she was, saw this somehow had more to it than the current setback. _"Very well. But if it helps, know that I believe you have it in you."_

Just as she was about to take off, they heard a surprised shout from Ash's side of the clearing. Looking over, they watched the light of evolution fade from the new Metapod, fully garbed in a segmented green shell. Ash whooped and hugged the new cocoon, who basked in the attention.

" _Someone is having progress,"_ Pidgeotto said. For once, she had a terrible choice of words.

Pikachu just managed to suppress a roar and swung at the rock with all strength he could muster – which, to his surprise, left a deeply carved line in it. As one, bird and mouse turned to look at the tail, just about catching the dying glow along its edge.

" _See,"_ Pidgeotto said smugly. _"I knew you could do it. Now you have the hard part down."_

Pikachu had a thoughtful frown on his face as he studied the appendage, replaying the process in his head. Wordlessly, the electric mouse went back to beating at the rock with his tail, trying to replicate the attack.

Pidgeotto chuckled, taking flight and resuming with her own training.

* * *

"I can't believe it! Twelve days! It took us twelve days to get through this overgrown pit, all because you don't know how to read a map!"

Ash felt tempted to say that she had not even once offered to do it instead, and he suspected she could not do so either. He helplessly tried to figure out how to fold the large map, and as he did not see where he was going, tripped over a root and fell flat on his face. Just his luck to stumble over the last tree of Viridian Forest, after watching his steps through the entire bug-infested nightmare.

Pikachu had abandonned his shoulder the second he noticed his trainer had lost his balance, and sat down with a resigned look.

"I'm _sorry_!" he cried, although it came out muffled since he did not remove his face from the ground. He stared at the Viridian Forest on the map that was right in front of his face, lamenting how it seemed to haunt him. On that note… did the forest look an awful lot like a troll face upside down?

Misty sighed. "Well… at least here now, which is not in there, so I guess it's a positive…"

"Hey, is that Pewter?" Ash suddenly asked, having decided to remove his face from the map. Far in the distance, Pewter City sat sprawled before a mountainous backdrop in all its grey glory. After so long away from any sort of civilisation, it was a beautiful sight to both trainers, if for slightly different reasons.

"All right!" Ash jumped to his feet, raising his fist to the sky. "Pewter City gym, here I come!"

* * *

 **End of Chapter**

* * *

 ***Osmeterium:** the actual name of the 'horn' on Caterpie's head.

* * *

 **[AN]: I'm a bit concerned about keeping this within the rating. I do like to skirt the line, but... come on. it's Pokémon.**

 **No Samurai here. I also considered skipping out on Caterpie, since he's not around for long, but I kept him the end. There's no shortage of characters for the Kanto team, so I might cut down on others in the future. This fic revolves around the idea of giving pokémon character, so I'll try to keep them in if I can. I wont stick to the official ones anyway.**

 **You're welcome to give me suggestions for future team members. There's no guarantee that I'll add them, but if I find it interesting I might. Within reason of course. So no legendaries... yet (wink wink).**

 **[EDIT 2017/11/20]: Revised chapter.**


	5. Chapter 4 - Resolve of Steel

**Veriqi does not own Pokémon, despite how people feel about it.**

 **Fav, follow and review to show your appreciation!**

* * *

 **Chapter 4 – Resolve of Steel**

 _by Veriqi_

* * *

'The home is like that of a shellder' was an old saying in Kanto. The pokémon's shell was easily recognizable and distinct to most, although its shape and form slightly varied depending on the specimen. Just like any human home, as the Kantonian people had observed – similar at first, yet with the personal touch of its resident to make it unique. And if the regular homes were to be likened to shellder, then the gyms could very well be called the cloyster of the region. They were monuments to pokémon training and battling, and as such had to be worthy representations of their chosen area of expertise.

As Brock gazed out over the gym arena, he concluded that Pewter City's Pokémon Gym fulfilled that part of the code appearance-wise. It was built out of massive boulders with a roof that was supported by iron beams, making the arena feel like the inside of a cave. The battlefield was of dirt and littered with rocks of all shapes and sizes, imitating the look of a mountainous plateau, or a stony riverside.

Pewter City's Pokémon Gym was more than just a representation. It was the _embodiment_ of its type and ideals.

"Bro, how do I deal with a flying opponent?"

Brock smiled and faced his younger sibling as well as student. Forrest had recently turned ten, and had as the tradition went received his first pokémon on his birthday, just like Brock at that age. Since Forrest showed an interest in the family business, more so than his older brother ever had, Brock had naturally also offered to start tutor his younger brother in the duties and responsibilities of a gym leader.

"What is the biggest advantage an aerial fighter has?" Brock asked.

"It's that they got the height and... their speed?" Forrest tried, thoughtful frown on his face.

They had lately started to go over the 'real' stuff, that was, how to battle and strategize. To the pride of Brock, Forrest was a natural and learning fast, and it only consolidated his decision in teaching him. Pewter gym had a bright future ahead with him as a gym leader. Brock lacked the passion for it to be truly successful, but he knew his responsibilities and was going to fulfil them. Unlike his father...

"Good," Brock said, "and why is that in their benefit?"

"Because their flight gives them far more directions to attack from, and their speed makes them able to dodge easier as well as outspeed us. Rock pokémon are kind of slow, so…"

Brock nodded. "They are. But you know the catch?"

"Yeah! We start slow, but when we get moving, nothing can stop us!"

"Good job."

"…Wait, how _do_ I deal with them then?" Forrest asked, realising Brock had not answered his original question.

Brock grinned. "I think you'd learn better by watching a real battle."

Forrest sulked – actually sulked! – at that. It was easy to forget sometimes, but he was only a kid. "That could take ages…"

"Don't worry, there is bound to be a challenger sooner or later, just you wait and–"

The double doors of the entrance elegantly slipped open as somebody entered the building.

"–see," Brock finished.

Forrest was already moving, well aware of his role as the aide and assistant to the gym leader. As he walked to meet the newcomers, he called out, "Welcome to the Pewter City's Pokémon Gym! Are you here to challenge the mighty Brock?"

Brock sighed. He studied the two people who had entered – a boy with raven hair and pikachu on his shoulder, and a redheaded girl with a tomboyish look – and realised that he knew the girl. What exactly was Misty Waterflower doing here?

"Well... who's Brock?" the boy asked.

Forrest appeared put-off by that. "The gym leader," he said flatly. Manners, Forrest!

"Well, then I am!" the boy declared. "She's… well… here to watch?"

"Of course! I put all that effort into helping you, and now I intend to watch it pay off. And it _better_ , you hear me?"

"Yeah… sure!" the boy panicked.

Brock raised an eyebrow. "Well then… as the gym leader of Pewter City, I hereby accept your challenge. Spectators may move over to the viewing platform." Brock pointed to the stairs.

As Misty took her place by the railing above, Brock and the boy each chose a trainer's box at opposite ends of the battlefield. Forrest hurried to the side with two flags used for signalling in his hands.

"Challenger!" Forrest spoke up when in position, "State your name and town of birth!"

"I'm Ash Ketchum, of Pallet Town!" the boy, Ash, answered.

"Gym Leader, state the rules of the match!"

Normally, the judge was supposed to set the conditions, but Forrest was obviously not fully secure in his role. "This will be a two-on-two battle, using the standard gym rules," he finally said.

"This is my first gym battle, so what does that mean?" Ash asked.

"It means only the challenger are allowed to switch out," Forrest readily explained. "The gym leader meanwhile can't, and has to battle until his pokémon are knocked out or he forfeits."

"Oh, okay!"

Forrest continued with procedures, "Send out your first pokémon."

Brock pulled out a pokéball, deciding to open this battle like he usually did for low-level ones. He noticed Ash briefly looking to the mouse on his shoulder, but ended up going with tone of the 'balls on his belt instead.

"Geodude, let's rock!"

"Go, Pidgeotto!"

Both pokémon materialised on the field, letting out a growl and a chirrup respectively. The older trainer looked doubtfully at the younger boy's choice of combatant as it hovered over the field on beating wings. A female one, if he was not mistaken.

"Are you really using that one?"

"I know Pidgeotto can do it!" Ash called back. Said bird chirped in agreement.

Brock doubted it. The pidgeotto did look stronger than what he expected from trainer of Ash's level, but his own pokémon were no pushovers either. Not even his weakest.

"Well, I'm glad you did not go with Pikachu…"

Ash apparently misinterpreted that. "Oh, he's next! He gets his turn after Pidgeotto, but she won't go down that easily."

If this was a normal battle, telling the opponent what pokémon you intended to use was a grave, tactile error. While it did not matter as much here, as Brock's line-up was a preselected one, it was still an error he felt like admonishing the trainer for. The gym leader supress a sigh. So it was one of _those_ rookies…

"Are both trainer's ready to begin?" At the twin calls of confirmation, Forrest raised both flags. "The challenger has the first attack. Begin!"

* * *

Pidgeotto studied her opponent, and the geodude she was to fight did a good job of returning the glare. Weaker pokémon easily faltered under her piercing eyes, which told her this 'mon was of an entire different calibre than her usual opponents.

Her eyes narrowed. Well, she was not about to be beat by some floating rock with arms.

"Wing Attack, Pidgeotto!"

She obeyed, sweeping down to deliver the opening attack. The gym leader said nothing and let Geodude be hit, which barely fazed him. Then he threw a rock at her.

She executed an Aileron roll, displacing herself to the side and letting it fly right past her. The bird frowned, opting to stay as far away from stones _that_ size as it could mean the end of the battle on her part. She worried that her teammate would be unable to defeat two opponents on his own, especially at such a severe disadvantage as he was, and so she knew their success was dependant on if she could defeat this opponent or not.

Ash repeated his earlier command, and she followed suit. Pulling around for another attack run, she accelerated towards Geodude on shining wings. This time, he counterattacked, launching another rock at her to make her break away. She carefully adjusted her flightpath just so slightly, allowing the stone to narrowly miss her as she closed in on him. But to the surprise of her opponent, she feinted. Geodude stared as she pulled up in a Hammerhead, a vertical climb which abruptly turned into a steep fall, and–

"Steel Wing!"

–came down hard, nailing Geodude with metallic wings. The gym leader looked stunned. Ash whooped in celebration at the successful move.

As Pidgeotto pulled out of her attack and rounded the battlefield, she noticed the living rock was still standing, or floating, looking worse for wear but still in the fight. She had yet to be hit, but she knew she, unlike Geodude, could not handle a super-effective hit like that, so she watched the rock carefully as she circled him in wait for further directions.

"Geodude," the gym leader called, sounding less bored than he did previously. "Use Rock Throw, rapid fire. Force her on the defensive."

He began to hurriedly lob rocks at Pidgeotto, and she was forced to abandon her lazy circling to pull away from the projectiles. Pidgeotto heard her trainer call for another Steel Wing – a bit difficult with the current anti-air, but she nevertheless swerved and cruised between Geodude's throws to try and land another hit.

Geodude threw himself into a Rollout to escape her, and Pidgeotto began to pull out of range, but was confused by the command that followed from the gym leader's side.

"Bumper run!"

What in aerodactyl's ancient name–?

The accelerating rock-type heaved himself into the air with all the strength he possessed, using one of the fields random boulders as a ramp to launch himself straight at her. Catching her off guard, the Rollout hit true and sent the flying-type, well, flying. Geodude's momentum and spinning motion kept him from harm as he touched down.

Pidgeotto whirled through the air before regaining control, luckily before hitting the ground herself, and she shook her head to get rid of the dizziness. That was unpleasant. Her saving grace was the limited time Geodude had to build up the attack's power – had he been able to gain more momentum before impact, his Rollout could possibly have knocked her out.

"Don't give up Pidgeotto! Another Steel Wing!"

" _Beat him blue!"_

The cheering of her trainer and teammate made Pidgeotto's glare harden. She was a daughter of the sky, and it was time she showed this pebble his place below her.

She dropped to the side, deciding to end it all with a finishing blow. Geodude suddenly switched tactics, downsizing his rocks so that Pidgeotto was met by a virtual hail of smaller stones, and as the damage quickly began to tally she reluctantly pulled out. She swept around for another angle, but Geodude turned with her and repeated his previous tactic of flinging stones at such a fast rate his arms were but a blur to everyone watching, and yet again the bird had to abandon her course.

She wondered how she was supposed to get through _that_. Her opponent had no blind spots where he sat damped in the middle of the field, had no shortage of ammo and for all intents and purposes was as good as unreachable. Her wings stung from the failed assaults, and she felt frustrated at being beaten by _gravel_ of all things. What to do, what to do…?

"–ome on, Pidgeotto! Just plow through it!"

She was at once reminded of why she saw this trainer as the right one for her. That volatile but powerful combination of creativity, unorthodox thinking and belief that anything could be overcome with enough guts and determination.

" _Feel the wrath of the watchers above!"_ she cried. The bird shot forwards, carried by the power of her Quick Attack, and Geodude responded with yet another salvo of stone shards. She abandoned all sense of caution as she dove right into the attack, coating her wings in the power of steel to mostly shield herself from the hits. Her keen eyes took in the larger chunks which she swerved around, ignoring the smaller ones in favour of staying on course.

She saw his panicked look as he realised she could not stop her.

"Dodge!"

" _Take this!"_

Geodude had no chance of parrying the combined Steel Wing and Quick attack, and Pidgeotto slammed into him with all the power of a sledgehammer. Geodude was sent bouncing and rolling across the field, finally coming to a stop by the feet of the gym leader, face down and arms limp.

The energy of the Quick Attack bled out as Pidgeotto shot upwards, letting out a triumphant cry in victory.

* * *

"Geodude is unable to battle. The winner is Pidgeotto!" Forrest judged. He sounded a bit miffed at the result.

Brock sighed as he returned his fallen pokémon. His eyes turned to Ash, the opponent he had severely underestimated and which Geodude had paid for. The trainer loudly congratulated his pidgeotto, who preened under the praise.

"I did not expect your pokémon to know such a move," he spoke up, drawing the attention of the celebrating group. Brock glanced at the watching girl on the walkway above. "Most trainer's come here entirely unprepared or simply too full of themselves to realize raw power aren't going to cut it against my rock-types. I admit I did not take you seriously at first."

Ash looked a bit uncomfortable at his veiled probe, confirming Brock's suspicions, and then his face flashed with irritation at the gym leader's confession.

"I intend to remedy that mistake," Brock continued, throwing his pokéball. "Onix, rock them good!"

The ground shook as his starter appeared, the rock snake's boulders twisting as he raised his head to glower down at the challenger. Ash and his pokémon visibly startled, and the trainer gaped in horror at the behemoth towering above, and he dazedly pulled out his Pokédex to scan Brock's pokémon.

 **Onix, a rock/ ground-type. Onix burrows through the earth at 80 kilometres per hour, creating extensive cave networks where smaller pokémon often make their home. While its body is rough, it grows smoother and harder with age.**

"…You still up for a go?" the rookie trainer gathered himself, addressing his pidgeotto. The bird chirped an affirmative, outwardly not affected by the new adversary.

Brock could not help but smirk. "Let's see what you have against the king of rock-types!"

"Begin!"

* * *

Pidgeotto was tired. The battle against Geodude had been much more craving than expected, and the Rollout coupled with all the smaller hits left her on the end of her teeter. But she refused to admit any weakness. If she needed, she would take down this opponent too.

"Wing Attack!"

She began to rapidly close the distance between them, but had to abort as Onix' massive body suddenly twisted to intercept her. Swerving around the massive tail, she brushed against one of his body segments as she was left an opening. Onix gave no indication he had felt it.

That… was not reassuring.

"Okay, try a Steel Wing instead!" Ash shouted, and Pidgeotto chirped. Using effective attacks to wear him down seemed to be her only option.

She pulled another wingover as she went in again, and Onix grunted this time as she scraped across his flank. She watched for any unexpected movements as she pivoted to deliver another attack, and though his trashing tail came uncomfortably close at several occasions, she managed to keep just out of his reach. Despite it, she was disheartened by his size, as what damage she did manage to deal did not even seem to affect the massive rock snake.

"Well, since you don't seem to make much progress anyway…" the gym leader said, grim look etched on his face. "Onix! Use Rock Tomb!"

Pidgeotto's eyes widened as Onix slammed his tail into the ground. With a rumble, a mass of pillars shot out of the ground, converging on the bird with frightening speed, and she could not get out of the way before she was encased within an unforgiving stone grave.

She instantly lost consciousness.

* * *

Ash watched in dumbfounded silence as Onix made the rocks recede back into the ground, leaving behind a limp Pidgeotto. Like in a trance, he returned her to her pokéball, the judge's voice sounding distant in his ears.

That had been so _fast_.

After all the effort Pidgeotto had put into training, and it just ended like that…?

He snapped out of his stupor when Pikachu pulled at his pant leg, whining and giving him a nervous look. Absently, he kneeled down to scratch the mouse between the ears, still mulling over Pidgeotto's defeat. Onix was terrifying, and had been able to largely ignore her attacks, and Ash suddenly felt a lot less confident.

He swallowed. "Ready to go?"

Pikachu looked up at him, hesitance apparent in his eyes, and the mouse seemed to sink in on himself. Ash had learned during their short time together how fierce the little creature could be, so seeing that he was scared was unnerving. But he could not let it show, not if he wanted Pikachu to win.

"You can beat him. I believe in you."

The mouse shifted, gaze flickering between the rock snake and his trainer. A familiar steel entered his visage, and he nodded with a determined frown.

Ash grinned. "I choose you, Pikachu!"

* * *

Pikachu darted out on the field, anxious but determined. On his own, his battles had never concerned someone else, but this one was different. Now, his failure would make Pidgeotto's efforts meaningless, and her sacrifice would be for nothing. She had done her best to weaken his opponent, and Pikachu needed to put that slight advantage to use.

Onix terrified him. Old stories spoke of the great stone serpents of the underground, who carved the veins of the world that allowed it to breathe. Some even said that the world itself was actually a massive, curled up onix, and that all the other ones were her offsprings who would one day reunite with their mother in the eternal cycle of life. The mysteries that surrounded them made the stone serpents highly respected… and feared, for good reasons.

And now he was to fight one.

"Ash, I don't mean to be condescending, but are you sure about this?" the gym leader asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?" his trainer asked.

"He looks like he's still in his cutie-stage."

Pikachu bristled. He knew all too well he was never going to look intimidating, but that was an affront to his male pride! _Cutie-stage_?! By the raging thunder above–!

"Don't say that about my partner! He's a lot tougher than you think!"

Pikachu felt a grin pull on his face, warmth spreading in his chest at those words. He was still getting used to having someone willing to back him up – or, when necessary, step in front – but deep under his guarded exterior, the small, lonely child yearning for kinship cried out in joy every time that happened.

"Well, if you insist."

"The match resumes… now!"

Instantly, Pikachu shot off with the light of a Quick Attack trailing after him. Ash ordered him in close, and the yellow mouse obeyed. The rock snake was slow, so he hoped to outspeed him in close quarters.

"Onix! Don't let them come in close!"

They really wanted to make this challenging, did they?

Pikachu vaulted over the incoming rock tail, feeling the brush of displaced air as the massive appendage swept under him. It was back all too soon, and Pikachu had to frantically dodge. This would have been the perfect moment to strike, had he only been able to master Iron Tail in time for the battle. And even if he had, he would have been short on options.

"Come on Pikachu! See how he reacts to a Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu was doubtful, yet he did as he was told. It was mostly a symbolic gesture, one that showed he was not going to lie down and take it. Or rather, continue to jump around like a spastic fool without doing anything.

As expected, the attack did jack squat against his part-ground opponent. Pikachu kept himself a moving target, dashing and jumping to avoid Onix' flailing tail and body. The rock snake was growing annoyed at the mouse that flitted around like an irritating dustox, and Pikachu desperately tried to keep within Onix' dead zones in some desperate hope he would not be able to turn fast enough. In desperation, he tried to hit Onix with an Iron Tail, but the attack fizzled out and the resulting lame slap did about as much damage as a falling leaf. He could form the attack, but not retain it.

"Ash, I wondered why you were still trying to hide your trump card this far into the battle… but is it true that Pikachu doesn't actually have anything to attack Onix with?"

His trainer did not answer the question, and Pikachu could almost see him gritting his teeth in anger. The mouse caught the disappointed look on the gym leaders face, telling him the human had already worked it out for himself.

Well, Mudpits.

"I hoped to see what more surprises you had in store, but all your ingenuity was apparently spent on Pidgeotto. If this is all you've got, then you might as well give up now."

No answer.

"Concede. Pikachu won't be able to win this."

"I won't back down!" his trainer declared. "I believe in my pokémon!"

Pikachu's cheeks sparked.

"This is pointless," Brock stated.

"We're not beaten yet!"

"My bad. Onix, use Bind!"

Pikachu was shocked as Onix' body suddenly drew to surrounded him, and he panicked as he tried to escape the trap. However, the tightening noose that was the rock snake's body swiftly sealed him in, and Pikachu was trapped, squeezed uncomfortably in a stony hold. Onix' head loomed over him, like an arbok staring down at its prey. His trainer called his name in worry.

Then the pain hit. Onix' began crushing him in his vice-like grip, and Pikachu screamed and trashed in the grip of the rock-type. The feeling of helplessness, the overwhelming pressure, the _pain_ , it all gave him horrible flashbacks. The world slipped away, leaving only him in the

" _Yield,"_ a rumbling voice murmured. _"My trainer loathes to see this fight continue. Your persistence is humbling, but you need to stop this before someone gets hurt."_

Some distant part of Pikachu's brain managed to connect the soft but gravelly voice to the rock snake currently squeezing the life out of him.

" _He never wanted any of this. He carries many burdens for his family's sake, but for them, he would endure any hardship."_ Onix seemed to be lamenting. _"And just as he does, so will I."_

Pikachu could not breathe. It would not be long before he blacked out,

Pidgeotto, the wise and loyal friend.

Metapod, the shy but growing teammate.

His trainer, _Ash_ , the one that helped him find his way.

" _It doesn't have to be this way,"_ Onixhummed, distressed that Pikachu still clung to consciousness. " _Please. Yield."_

"… _Sorry,"_ Pikachu managed to grit out, _"but I'm also willing to endure hardships!"_

He released his electricity, cheeks sparking madly and random bolts firing in all directions. He wriggled and squirmed in Onix' grip, fighting to free himself.

Suddenly, Onix jerked sharply, accidently freeing the mouse as his grip slackened. Small sparks shot through his body, making the rock snake twitch and spasm uncontrollably. The gym leader watched in disbelief before he cursed in realisation. "Static!"

Onix flinched, paralysis wrecking his body yet again. The rock- and ground-type lacked any muscles that could clench at inopportune moments, but the boulders that composed his length operated through magnetic signals – which, when overpowered by a stronger, outside electrical force, completely lost any cohesive unity. Onix had not been paralysed as much as had his entire nervous system hijacked.

Pikachu moved somewhat unsteadily, legs weak and muscles hurting. He felt slightly mushed, but regardless of any sore feelings gathered all of his determination to stare up at Onix, who despite the setback was still just as intimidating and powerful. The battle was not over yet.

"Great Pikachu! Show him what you've got!" Ash paused. "Iron Tail!"

The electric-type frowned. Could he really…? It had never worked before... but would it ever, if he did not try?

Raising his tail above himself, Pikachu focused on the feeling of metal. Like many times before, he summoned the energy of steel, concentrating on making it stay, and recited a mantra in his mind.

– _enduring against any assault, piercing against armour of rock and ice, pure and persevering in adversity–_

His bolt-shaped tail flashed and hardened, steel-type energy coating and infusing the appendage, and it morphed into a tempered weapon of pounding for its wielder. And it did not fade. Pikachu grinned. He shot forward, earlier weakness forgotten, and levelled the Iron Tail into a roundhouse blow.

Onix roared in pain as the super-effective move tore into him. The gym leader's pokémon faltered and shook his head, trying to gather himself for a counterattack, but spasmed as electrical sparks hindered his movements.

"Pikachu!" Ash shouted, grin shining his voice. "Hammer away!"

Pikachu gleefully obeyed. Onix tried to defend, but was unable to as Pikachu subjected him to a merciless fury of blows that steadily wore down on his incredible defence, any chance of retaliation closed by the status effect still impeding his body. Even as he managed the execution of a Rock Tomb, his nimble opponent flawlessly avoided it and did kept up with his continued assault.

Yet, even in his defenceless state, Onix still had much more stamina than Pikachu, who soon began to feel the rush of energy wearing off. He would not be able to keep up his speed for long, and so realised he needed to end it quickly. With a flurry of movements Onix could not keep up with, Pikachu found himself on the rock snakes back and advanced towards the head, Iron Tail fading for the moment. But the gym leader spotted him and, clearly seeing what he was up to, yelled at Onix to shake the mouse off _now_. While not in full control of his body, Onix was still more than capable of a wild thrashing.

Pikachu frantically searched for the best perches in Onix' uneven surface, all while trying to time his jumps between them so he would not fall and possibly get crushed in the joints between the boulders. But just as he reached the upper neck, the whiplash of a sudden head throw made Pikachu loose his grip and sent him flying above the arena. He fruitlessly waved as to gain some control over his fall, when Ash's voice suddenly reached him over the confusion and panic.

"Pikachu! Hit him on the way down!"

Pikachu tried to look, seeing that his perfectly vertical flight would carry him right back down into Onix' grip. It would be the end of him if that happened. Tail shining with the power of steel, Pikachu went into an all-or-nothing attack as he fell to meet Onix' rising head.

" _Iron Tail!"_ Pikachu screamed.

The bludgeoning attack hit Onix in the forehead with a sickening crack, which proved to be too much. Like his strings had been cut, the nearly nine-metre-long rock-type collapsed with a thundering boom, pulling up great heaps of dust with the impact. Pikachu landed awkwardly, bruised and beaten all over, but still standing – victorious.

And _'mon_ did that feel good.

* * *

It was completely unexpected, or so Brock would have said if his eloquent mind was not too busy gawking at the scene. The small mouse that had bested his oldest companion sat triumphantly on the unconscious head of his opponent, for all appearances on top of the world.

"…Onix is unable to battle," Forrest finally found his voice. "The winner of the match is… Ash Ketchum!"

Said trainer leapt into the air, whooping and screaming and praising his pokémon who came running back to him. He caught Pikachu in an embrace only slightly looser than the one Onix had given earlier, but Pikachu did not seem to mind.

Onix dematerialized as Brock sombrely returned him, muttering a quiet 'thank you', and nodded to let his brother know that he could enter this battle into the log and start cleaning up for the day. Forrest nodded dejectedly and left the room, throwing a thoughtful look at the celebrating duo by the end of the field.

Brock walked over to them. The trainer and his pokémon looked up as he approached, faces still flushed with success.

"Good job. Look like I was wrong." He held out his hand, presenting the coveted symbol of the Pewter City Gym – a simple, grey octagon about two fingers in width. "This is the Boulder Badge. You've earned it."

Ash took it, staring with star-struck wonder. Pikachu on the other hand looked disappointed at what he saw, probably because he had to fight a giant, terrifying stone serpent for what to him looked like a piece of metal. Brock smiled at the thought.

"Great job Ash!" They both turned to face Misty as she came down the stairs. "You actually managed to beat Brock."

"Yeah, told you I could do it!"

"And you only needed a ridiculous dose of luck and two masochistic pokémon who trained their collective ends off for you."

"We didn't train _that_ hard…"

"I'm just kidding, Ash," Misty said with a grin. "Seriously, whatever people tells you – a rookie beating a Gym Leader with a disadvantage like that is impressive."

"Misty here's right," Brock agreed. "I seriously doubt many trainers would be able to overcome such odds. You have talent."

"He had me," Misty said. "I was the one who suggested those moves for his pokémon, and helped in teaching them."

Brock raised an eyebrow. "What's this betrayal I hear?"

"Shut it. I know you like to hint for challengers that grass-types will be good in… Cerulean's gym as well." She worriedly glanced at Ash as she caught her slip of tongue, further fuelling Brock's curiosity.

"You two know each other?" Ash asked, seeing the byplay but not understanding the implications.

"…We've met," Brock hedged, catching Misty's subtle gesture. Wonder why she did not want it to come out. "Now, I think it would be a good idea to go straight to the Pokémon Center and get some treatment for your pokémon, as they should be pretty beat up. I should now, since I trained those they had to fight."

Ash's eyes widened. "That's right! Pidgeotto must be hurt, I–"

"Speaking of which, I also have to pay a visit… you deal as good as you get, that's for certain. You know what, how about I come with you?"

Brock was intrigued by the young trainer. His enthusiasm and odd way off battling was fascinating to witness, and he would like to observe him some more. Besides, he did need to heal up Geodude and Onix, so he was technically still attending gym leader business.

Nevertheless, this warranted further investigation.

* * *

 **End of Chapter**

* * *

 ***Pewter Gym:** the description is mainly based of the HG/SS version of Pewter gym, the most recent game incarnation of the legendary first gym.

 ***Forrest's age:** his age is never mentioned in canon, nor is his birthday. In this universe, he was born the year after Ash on the 7th of January, which is known as Old Rock Day. It is a holiday when children go out and find themselves their own pet rock, which is for some reason not widely celebrated.

* * *

 **[AN]: Full battle chapter. it might be awesome, it might be terrible; tell me what you think.**

 **Not much to say this time. Next chapter provides more Brock, as well as a few more, familiar faces... u** **ntil then.**

 **[EDIT 2017/11/20]: Revised chapter.**


	6. Chapter 5 - Over the Moon

**Veriqi does not own Pokémon. He is not creative enough to come up with such a concept.**

 **Don't forget to fav, follow and review if you're enjoying this story. You should, if you've made it this far.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5 – Over the Moon**

 _by Veriqi_

* * *

"Bro, we need to talk."

Brock paused, looking up from the figy berries he was cutting. Forrest stood in the door of the kitchen, arms crossed and face set.

"What about?" the older Slate brother asked as he resumed chopping. Dinner was always a project, especially with two guests over, but Brock was efficient.

"About you leaving,"

Brock nearly sliced of something important in shock, and his head whipped around to stare at Forrest. "Wait, what-! Why do you say that?!"

"Your lessons in perceptiveness have payed of, sensei," Forrest said flatly. He sighed, pulling a hand through his hair in a sign of frustration. "Bro, I can _see_ it – you want to go with them."

'Them' was of course referring to Ash and Misty. Ash's Pidgeotto had managed to sprain her wing in the gym battle, and as they were forced to remain in the city for a while longer, Brock had seized the chance to hang out with them some more. They had spent a day touring the city with Brock as guide, and the gym leader had found himself enjoying their company. He had even invited them to dinner.

Case in point, hearing of their travels had relit something inside of Brock he had thought to be completely gone. He thought he had not shown it outwardly, but in hindsight he should not have underestimated Forrest.

Brock did not even bother denying it. "I can't leave you and your siblings without someone to look after you."

"We can take care of ourselves. You're not the only one who had to grow up fast," Forrest said sadly.

"You still need a caretaker, someone older," Brock insisted. "You're ten, and the others are even younger."

A conflicted look flashed across Forrest's face, and he averted his eyes. "We still have dad."

Brock said nothing. It found it hard to say anything about this topic.

"He wants to redeem himself, you know," Forrest continued in the tense silence.

"Have you been talking to him?" Brock asked calmly, trying to keep the disapproval out of his voice.

"I know you wouldn't like it, but hear me out." Forrest paused, gathering his thoughts. "I've gone into his room every now and then the last few months – let me finish – and I've been telling him about the family. How we're doing, how we're feeling… how you're picking up his slack. How you're unable to pursue your own dreams."

Brock kept silent.

"I think he's finally starting to get over mom, or at least realised the rest of us are still here. He never dared speak to you about it, because he was afraid you would reject him outright."

"He's got good reasons for it…" Brock muttered. How was he otherwise supposed to feel about a man that had for all intents and purposes abandoned his ten children for going on two years?

"Please Brock," Forrest pleaded. "Dad says he wants to be a part of our lives again." His voice fell to a whisper. "I think we could… give him the chance?"

Brock sighed, his eyes seeking out his siblings playing outside, visible through the kitchen window. Ash had the attention of the boys who were star-eyed at meeting a 'cool trainer', and Misty was the new idol of Brock's younger sisters. He could not help but smile wistfully at the scene. All of them were too young to hold a grudge, even Forrest, and would gladly welcome their father back. But Brock did not feel as forgiving.

There was a deep sense of betrayal he felt for his father, who had just… given up, leaving his oldest, thirteen-year-old son to fend for his family that it was his job to comfort after their mother had gone. It had all fallen to Brock, as everything else had, and he doubted he could ever truly forgive him for that.

But despite his own feelings, Brock wondered if it gave him the right to deny his siblings their right to a father. Could he allow his own bitterness to be the wedge that would forever separate them from him? Could he be that selfish?

He cared too much for his family for that.

"Say that we do give him a new chance… it still doesn't mean I can leave you with him."

"That's the thing, Brock. With dad here, you can finally go and study to become a breeder like you always wanted. He says you should."

Forrest rarely, if ever, called him Brock. It was always bro or Brockster with him, unlike the rest his siblings who always called him by name. With Forrest, it was a sign that he was not talking to the infallible, big brother the rest of them saw, but the person within, with his own needs and wants.

"But, I'm… abandoning you."

"Listen… We do not feel like that." Forrest's smile was genuine, and he was clearly trying to make him see it. "Me, Yolanda, Salvadore, dad… everyone. We only want you to be happy."

Forrest hesitated, before he decided that Brock needed it and went forward to snake his arms around his older brother.

"Come on Brockster," he heard Forrest's muffled voice against his stomach. "Just for once, do what you want to do instead of what's expected."

"I can't help but think I'm selfish," Brock confessed.

"You're not! Even if you were, then you should now everyone can be a bit selfish every now and then."

There was an expectant pause.

"…I'll go talk to dad," Brock relented, "and, if he manages to convince me… we'll see."

"Great!" Forrest cheered, his normally calm demeanour breaking as he pumped his fist in elation. Brock was amused by the familiarity in the motion, even more so as whom was emulating it. A comfortable silence settled over the room, until they both became aware of what sounded like a shouting match outside.

"Are Ash and Misty arguing again?" Brock asked in amused exasperation.

Forrest tilted his head as he listened. "Yeah, they are."

Brock tried to pick out the context. Something about 'shorts' and 'comfy'.

"Honestly," Forrest said, "you might be doing the region some sort of community service by going with them. To make sure they don't break anything or the like."

* * *

" _Eat Thunder!"_

Pikachu's opponent flitted to the side of the lightning bolt and channelled a Gust into the wind. The electric mouse quickly darted to the side, yet again firing of a Thundershock which was yet again avoided with little effort. Deciding ranged combat would not cut it, Pikachu's tail flashed with steel as he prepared to charge in close…

…only to suddenly freeze up as his whole body was caught in a psychic grip. Pikachu fought the Confusion, and as the user was still inexperienced with the attack, managed to break out of the telekinetic hold. Shaking his head to clear away the mild disorientation, Pikachu huffed and glared playfully at his adversary.

" _You were so much easier to fight as a Metapod."_

Butterfree's trilling laugh carried over the battlefield. _"You'd rather have me spam Harden and wait for you to concede?"_

Pikachu grimaced. _"Well… maybe not. That was an infuriating when you did it."_

" _I can actually still use Harden. I'm not sure how that would go down, but how about I–"_ Butterfree was cut off by an incoming Iron Tail, one he hastily dropped out of the way of.

" _Don't you dare!"_

" _Fine! Spoilsport…"_

Pidgeotto smiled at the banter, continuing to watch the match with interest. She had always prided herself in how she could read the smallest movement in battle, and as she studied their deadly dance, she easily saw Butterfree tilting his wings ever so slightly to change direction mid-beat, and how the muscles under Pikachu's fur clenched as he readied a rolling jump into an Iron Tail. However, while the ability to spot an opponent's moves and attacks was more useful in battle, she believed her greatest skill was easily her gift for reading people. It was a talent of the Keen Eye that rarely manifested, but she knew how to use it.

Pikachu glowed with excitement and elation, a result of his burning battle spirit, and Pidgeotto was as always glad to see the pulsing light that was still growing within him. From the dark, empty solidarity she had seen there previously, his soul had blossomed under their trainer and team, expanding and enfolding into the unifying character he would become. Pidgeotto felt privileged to witness that growth.

Her eyes turned to gaze into Butterfree's facetted ones, and she considered what she saw therein. Their youngest member had only recently evolved, but was improving with leaps and bounds in both his confidence as well as his battle capabilities. Yet, when she looked past his happy and friendly character, she could pick out the luring insecurities below. He was the weakest out of the three of them, the weak link, and it worried her that he might lose himself in the downwards spiral of inadequacy. Such thoughts were dangerous in a creature as driven as a pokémon.

Her pondering was cut short as Pikachu's Thundershock finally found its mark, and she winced in sympathy for her fellow flying-type. The butterfly tried to regain his height, aftershocks jumping between his wings, and Pikachu moved in to exploit Butterfree's momentary weakness. But just as the mouse launched into a Quick Attack, Butterfree let loose a cloud of green, glistening dust, and Pikachu's attack seemed to dissolve and lose momentum as the mouse shot through it. He landed unsteadily, turned towards his teammate with flickering eyelids. He held up one finger, like they had seen the gym leader do when chastising one of his siblings.

" _Sleep Powder is… cheating."_

And with that, he faceplanted and instantly fell asleep.

Pidgeotto glanced at the smug Butterfree. _"He has a point."_

Butterfree feigned innocence. _"What do you mean? All's fair in love and war."_

" _As an exercise match, it does not qualify as either."_ Pidgeotto said. _"Besides, it is counterproductive for learning if he is going to sleep through it."_

" _But he_ did _learn something,"_ Butterfree insisted. _"Something like 'when faced with powder, don't breathe it'. Otherwise, you're off to the dream world."_

The butterfly looked down at his comatose sparring partner _. "It was only a light dose anyway, so he should be waking up at any… moment…. should be soon…"_

As Butterfree predicted, Pikachu's metabolism finally managed to filter through the Sleep Powder and he groggily shook his head as he woke up. He levelled a drowsy glare at Butterfree. _"That was a low blow."_

The younger 'mon appeared unaffected. _"Well, I'm hardly gonna make the mistake with Stun Spore twice."_

" _Not my fault you didn't know I was immune to it."_ Pikachu huffed. Pidgeotto could be wrong, but judging from Pikachu's reaction to that particular incident, she was reasonably sure that Pikachu at the time had not known it either.

" _Poison Powder?"_ Butterfree tried.

Pikachu stared flatly. _"No."_

" _Oh, come on!"_ Butterfree whined. _"You've banned half my move pool by now!"_

" _You still have that annoying Confusion,"_ Pikachu sniffed. _"Why your kind is psychic, I have no idea."_

" _So that we can do this."_

Pikachu yelped as his foot shot up in the air, and he flipped several times before landing with all the acrobatic skill of glameow. _"Hey!"_

" _I cannot say you did not ask for it,"_ Pidgeotto said in amusement.

Pikachu looked indignant, and Butterfree laughed. Seeing as they were apparently done, he flitted of towards their trainer by the fire, and Pikachu muttered something uncomplimentary as he followed, Pidgeotto joining up by his side.

" _Have you ever thought of developing your strategy?"_ Pidgeotto inquired. " _It currently consists of you zapping things until they fall over, and if that does not work, let loose on them with Iron Tail._

" _See any problems with that?"_ Pikachu said.

" _It does not appear very… refined."_ Pidgeotto said diplomatically.

" _Hey, I can do lightning and I will!"_

" _I'm just suggesting something more diverse."_

" _It works."_

" _Did it against Onix?"_

That brought him up short. Pidgeotto had been told of how the battle had gone after she was knocked out, and knew just as well as he did that he only won due to a lucky strike with his ability.

"… _You know, flying has its shortcomings too."_

She shrugged. _"I've always got Whirlwind in case that happens."_

* * *

"Hey Butterfree, everything's good?"

The butterfly trilled an answer as he landed on Ash's outstretched arm, nuzzling his trainer's face. The trainer laughed at the action, scratching him on top of his head. He then took off again, presumably to hunt for some pollen.

"When did you catch him?"

Ash turned to the speaker. The day before Ash and Misty had meant to leave Pewter City, the older boy had approached them about the possibility of joining them, offering his skills as a cook and pokémon caretaker in return. Both had jumped at the chance, as Ash did not know how to cook over open fire while Misty could not cook, period. Their pokémon was fully in on it as well, as none of them were eager to eat commercialised pokémon food after tasting Brock's glorious homemade brand. They liked his company as well, but the cooking was a definite plus.

Brock sat by a camping tripod, slowly stirring the stew he had set to brew over the small fire. He nodded in the direction of the departing Butterfree, indicating who he meant.

"About a week or so before our gym battle," Ash answered Brock's question, "and he– wait, how'd you know he was male?"

Brock smiled. "As an aspiring pokémon breeder, I've got to know what to look for. For example, female butterfree have dark markings on their scales, while males do not."

"You can do that with other pokémon too?"

Brock nodded, and he gestured at Ash's other pokémon who were returning from their quick training session in a clearing down the hill. "Female Pidgeotto have a narrower bib than males, and their plumage is of a dimmer colour. With Pikachu, you see it on their tails. The outmost edge is even if they're male, while notched if female."

Pidgeotto flapped over to a branch in a nearby tree, by and Pikachu crawled up into his trainer's lap. Ash treaded his fingers through the striped fur on his back, and the mouse sighed.

Brock continued since Ash looked to be listening, "Advanced breeders can tell a pokémon's gender even easier than me, as I was a simple hobbyist until recently. From listening to their voices to watching their behaviour, they can gain understand pokémon that's as good as superhuman. I want to be the best I can be, and I hope to be able to reach that level one day." He paused. "By the way, how come you're interested in this? Most trainers never bother to learn the gender of their pokémon."

Ash was surprised by that information. "They don't?"

Brock shook his head. "Most just say 'it', or just assume."

"Really? I don't know, that sounds kind of, of…"

"Objectifying?" Brock offered.

"…Yeah, something like that," Ash muttered. Under his cording fingers, Pikachu grunted.

Misty came sauntering from the forest, her treasured compact fishing rod in one hand. "Hey guys, I was just on my way back from the river when I saw something strange. You want to have a look?"

Brock glanced at their simmering dinner. "Sure. I think the food will be fine for a few minutes.  
What is it?"

"A pokémon, but it's behaving oddly."

They followed the redhead for about fifty metres in among the trees, and they soon spotted a zubat that flitted around erratically among the lower branches. It looked disoriented.

"What's it doing?" Ash asked.

"He's confused by the trees." Brock elaborated at their questioning glances, "Zubat see using sonar, but they're used to having clear walls around them and the forest must be comparatively fuzzy. He must've strayed from the caves of Mt Moon."

He nodded towards the mountain in the distance, rising like a steep shadow in the waning light of day. Ash and Misty had originally planned to travel through it, but Brock had proposed for them to go around it instead. The zubat had been on edge recently.

"'He'?" Misty asked. She had not heard their earlier conversation.

"Males have larger fangs than females," Brock said distractedly, frowning. "I think this one has some kind of infection; his teeth don't look good at all…"

Even from a distance, Ash could make out the unhealthy shade which seemed to coat the zubat's fangs. He looked fatigued, as if he would collapse at any moment. Brock's thoughtful expression turned resolute, and he reached down into his large backpack, retrieving a pokéball.

"It just hit me… I've had limited experience with raising pokémon that are not rock-types, which I must have if I want to learn and grow as a breeder. This can be the first step out of my comfort zone."

He threw the 'ball with impressive accuracy, and in a flash, it had absorbed zubat. The click of a successful capture soon followed, and Brock picked it up with a determined look.

"Zubat's final evolution can only be achieved through a deep friendship between pokémon and trainer. With his help, I can learn how to become a better breeder, and a better trainer."

Ash grinned widely. "If it helps, you can practice with my team."

"Mine too," Misty offered.

Brock nodded, clipping his new capture to his hip and rubbed his hands together. "Now, who're feeling up for some Beef Stew?"

* * *

Unlike many of the other tunnels of the mountain, this storage room had been left mostly unlit as to save the limited power. It was also out of the way, and with the constant activity in the other areas was the most inviting quality for a Rocket operative in search for some peace and quiet. Most agents would seize the opportunity for some sleep, but his biological clock left him fresh as a sunflora. Curse his nocturnal instincts.

As he lazed on a crate in the darkness, he briefly considered to go exporing bu quickly thought better of it. The Zubat colonies were agitated by Team Rocket's intrusion and posed a danger in their sheer numbers, and as his skills mainly gravitated towards normal- and dark-type moves, he was at a severe disadvantage if confronted by any of the geodude and clefairy that made their home in the mountain. No, better stay in the boring but above all _safe_ room, where nothing but rattata scurried around in the corners.

Meowth knew what they said about him and curiosity, but he was not that kind of cat. He was superior, although others did not use that terminology.

Human footsteps told him somebody was entering the room, and after some indecisive motions they started to head in his direction. Meowth glanced at the perpetrator, a nameless grunt, and mentally resigned himself for the inevitable confrontation to come.

"C-47?" the grunt asked, although Meowth seriously doubted the man needed any clarification. He was quite infamous among the Rocket cells, so to speak.

"Whatcha want?"

"Executive Proton wanted you in the command center. Did not say why though…" the grunt muttered the last part to himself, but Meowth's sharp hearing still caught it.

"Why would dey?" he sneered, leaping down from the crate. "It ain't like some random guy they sent ta deliver the message has any reason ta know."

The grunt turned red in the face, and turned to stared down his nose at Meowth with a haughty look. Not that it was very hard to do, since the scratch cat barely reached him above the knee.

"Well, it is clearly of no matter anyway," the grunt dismissed the insult. Self-absorbed twit. "I highly doubt command would delegate anything of importance to a talking frea–"

A grinding, cringe-inducing sound made the grunt stop. Meowth withdrew his claws from the crate, leaving three pronounced marks in the metal, but he did not retract them. "Ya were sayin'…?"

"Well…" the man stared at the crate, desperately trying to regain his composure and failing miserably. "I– I meant… that the notice may have been issued by Proton, but it can't be anything crucial since you... are of no high rank," he finished lamely.

"Still higher rankin' than ya," Meowth said lightly, observing his still-glowing Fury Swipes like a human would their nails. "but don't let dat get ya down, it ain't as great as dey make it out ta be. Ya face is new, so I guess ya recently arrived… let me tell ya, I've been here for, what? Three weeks? Yeah, and let me tell ya, it's quite drainin' on us felines."

He gave the man his best leer. "Ya see, cats don't like bein' coped up for too long… it makes us tense, touchy, and we might just snap. At any. _Moment_." He pointedly flexed his claws.

The grunt hastily retreated, sending the talking pokémon a withering glare over his shoulder as he left the room.

Meowth snickered mischievously and began to make his way to the command center. He had no real need for a scratching post (what did they take him for, a Skitty?) but acting feral at least made the other agents hold back with the comments. It was not like he got any respect anyway, so there was no real loss.

Now, what could Proton want of him? Meowth's cell had been sent here for his skills as an interpreter, which the boss thought could come in handy when locating the Moon Stone. Maybe Proton had finally pulled his head out of the ground and decided to _use_ that asset? Meowth doubted it.

Ever since first arriving, the talking pokémon had been hearing the whispers of the clefairy in the caves, and knew the fairies were moving the Moon Stone every time it ran the risk of being discovered by the Team. The mountain's residents proved to know their home far better than the intruders, and had outmanoeuvred the Rockets with playful ease. They were not closer to acquiring the Moon Stone than they had when they started.

And was that not infuriating, to know the childish pokémon were treating it as a _game_? But what else was there to suspect faced with the incompetency that was Proton, who like the arrogant ponce that he was demanded all the credit for himself and let any advice fall on deaf ears. Meowth was convinced the Moon Stone by now had been hidden in the deepest reaches of Mt Moon, where they would never hope to find it.

Secretly, he felt happy about that. Because it was what Proton deserved, he told himself, and not because the fairies got to keep their precious rock. Obviously.

Really, that was it.

The command center housed several computers and screens manned by a group of monitoring personnel, which was all overseen by the executive in charge, Proton – the self-named 'cruellest member of Team Rocket', and the least favourite among its members. In front of the man stood his teammates Jessie and James in lousy attention, their group never being one for protocol.

"About _time_ , agent C-47," Proton ground out as Meowth entered the room, his eyes burning like two dumpster fires under his cap. Meowth ignored him, strolling up to the side of his teammates and joining in their abysmal stances, only because he knew Proton completely abhorred it. The executive said nothing for a long while to put pressure on them, before he began.

"We just received orders for the termination of Operation Stargazer, and for the immediate withdrawal of–"

"Hey! What come?" Meowth cut him off.

The executive glared, then continued like nothing happened. "–the immediate withdrawal of all agents and assets. Due to a recent reappraisal of priorities within Team Rocket, the boss concluded the search for the Moon Stone will be… put on hold. For now."

Meowth frowned before grinning condescendingly. In other words, 'the boss has grown tired of my foolishness and has resolved to call me home where I can't mess something up while he attends to other business'. All bundled up behind a lousy attempt to save face.

"So," Meowth drawled, "did dey get tired of the rocks we were sendin' back? Because, sure, granite can be pretty in a way, but compared ta _the_ Moon Stone, it's a bit of a let-down–"

"Shut it, agent!" Proton snapped. Jessie and James sent him identical looks, telling the cat to not antagonize their superior any more than necessary.

"While I'd rather just stuff you three in a pit and leave you here, that's not the reason you were summoned." Proton's glare could have melted iron, daring them to interrupt him one more time. "Your group are – for some reason beyond me – requested for transfer to Operation Celestial by the operative in charge, Dr Zager. And while the man clearly has gone senile, the boss has complied, and so I have to regrettably send you of in one piece." Proton obviously wanted to just get this over with, since he was so sparing on the insults.

"You'll be off at 0500 hours. Now, get out!"

The trio complied, leaving behind the poor, poor monitoring personnel that had to suffer Proton's pent-up fury. When out of the immediate impact zone, they turned to face each other. "So, a new mission."

Jessie sounded rather unenthusiastic.

"Come on, Lavender Towns gotta have some interestin' sights," Meowth said. "Ya seriously want to stay in dis dump?"

Jessie looked decidedly unimpressed. "Yes, let's leave this damp, cold and depressing place and go somewhere completely different – you know, _Lavender Town_."

"Well, whatever the case may be, it sounds as if Dr Zager wanted us specifically," James mused. "We must have impressed him on that mission in the Sevii Islands." An unladylike snort escaped Jessie. "Never a moment for us to rest," she said theatrically.

"Such is the life of Rocket's best," James added, almost absently. "We better go and pack, the little it may be."

After a moment, they noticed Meowth was not following. The scratch cat made a dismissive motion with his paw as they turned to give him questioning looks.

"I'm the guy without any possessions, remember? An' dey call _me_ the kleptomaniac." Meowth snickered, eyes glinting. "Nah, I saw a couple Rattata in the back, so I'll think I'm gonna go huntin' for some grub."

The scratch cat silently took off down the corridor. He just about saw Jessie's shiver as he rounded the corner. "I never get over how callous that sounds–"

Like a human had the right to talk about the cruelty of the food chain. But he was thankful for his teammates, as they were the only people who did not judge him for who he was, and that knowledge helped him every time he was subjected to the names and the jeers that followed him every day. They accepted each other for their quirks and their eccentricities, and for that were stronger than the rest of them. Team Rocket valued the strength in teamwork, and their group were among the elite on that area.

He would gladly embrace the unnatural in his strive to reach the top, and for all the sacrifices he had made on that road, he knew he would get there one day. It was only a matter of time.

* * *

 **End of Chapter**

* * *

 **[AN]: Guess who's back!**

 **...And I'm stressed like you would not know what. Where did all the time go?**

 **Forrest's getting the spotlight in place of their dad. This is one of those scenes I feel like are important but for some reason never recieve any spotlight. I just had to write it, and I hope you like it as much as I do.**

 **Brock has mad skillz in Pokémon Go.**

 **Last but not least – a competent Team Rocket (well, mostly...). I hope you enjoyed that teaser; they'll show up again in the future. I'm a bit concerned about portraying them though, as finding the balance between their quirkiness and their professionalism turns out to be _hard_. Oh well, at least Meowth is a hilarious narrator.**

 **Also, I finally got a cover! Yay! It's my own picture, so I can use it however I want. Hope it looks good.**

 **I'm currently working on chapter 6 & 7 simultaneously, only taking a break to update this. Until next time!**

 **[EDIT 2017/3/5]: Added the disclaimer 'Veriqi does not own Pokémon' to all chapters. Rewrote story description.**

 **[EDIT 2017/11/20]: Revised chapter.**


	7. Chapter 6 - Growth

**Veriqi does not own Pokémon.**

 **Fav, follow and review to support the continuation of this fic! But feel free to do it for other reasons too!**

* * *

 **Author answers some questions!**

 **[Guest]: Is Ash going to start strategizing at some point?**

 **[Veriqi]:** _Well... he's already doing it, although on the fly_ _–_ _it's what's he's good at. Still, perhaps he will learn to put some forethought into battles in the future?_

 **[Guest]: Is Ash going to stay naïve?**

 **[Veriqi]:** _This fic puts emphasis on the following, in order of importance: character development, world building, battles and poor attempts at humour. No worries, I have no intention of resetting or pretend linear time is a myth, but he's still ten (barely eleven). He's only been travelling for about a month, and this fic would get boring very quickly if I had all growth happen in the first five chapters._

* * *

 **Chapter 6 - Growth**

 _by Veriqi_

* * *

Pikachu could tell that this clearing was special. Not because of the odd but friendly woman that offered hot water or the dozen of pokémon relaxing in the sun, but rather because of the ambient feeling of peace. The place exuded safety, and you could almost taste the mysterious nature of it in the air.

Butterfree circled past him as he rested on the banks of the pond, and he watched lazily as his teammate flitted around over the water. He supposedly found it relaxing, although Pikachu had trouble understanding it. He wondered if it had anything to do with his compound eyes and their effect on his perception. Maybe it was a bug thing.

" _Pokémon come here when they require treatment?"_

" _Yes. Here, they can rest and recover, and Melanie always heals those in need of it with her salves."_

Pikachu looked over to Pidgeotto, who was in a deep discussion with one of the clearing's residents, someone hard to describe as something other than a hybrid between a pokémon and a plant. Bulbasaur had been guarded when their group had first arrived, adamant in keeping their group separate from the local pokémon, although he had mellowed out once the woman took their trainers to the side. He was calm and thoughtful, and apparently acted as some sort of guardian of the place. It was called the Hidden Village, and rightfully so as the trainers had only stumbled upon it by pure luck.

" _Have you ever had problems with any… ill-intentioned people?"_ Pidgeotto asked.

" _We've never been found,"_ Bulbasaur said, eyes drifting towards the small hut by the clearing's edge. _"Your group of… trainers are the first ones I've seen here other than Melanie."_

Pikachu noticed the pause.

Pidgeotto studied their surroundings with a contemplative look. " _Interesting."_

" _What, treating sick and injured?"_ Bulbasaur asked.

" _No, this place… I believe it's a Hidden Grotto."_

He frowned. _"A what?"_

" _A pokémon sanctuary protected by the very elements of the forest. They are said to be invisible for human eyes, save those of pure heart and vigour."_ Pidgeotto gave Bulbasaur a pointed look. _"I believe it proves our trainer's noble intentions, since he is able to do so."_

Bulbasaur did not look convinced. _"No offense, but I've never heard of it."_

" _It's your loss. The old tales tell of many wonders beneath the sky, and are passed on by parents of all types. But it baffles me you would not have heard of them, considering your nature."_ She was clearly referring to Bulbasaur's grass-typing, which had a closer connection to the forest than most. The old tales were told on a universal level among all of pokémon-kind, but some had more prevalence with certain groups. Grass-types told of the forest, water-types told of the sea and rivers; Pikachu himself had mostly grown up on stories of Raikou the Thunder King.

" _I would not know them then, if they're only told among pokémon in the wild."_

Pidgeotto seemed surprised. _"No, truly…?"_

" _Yes,"_ he confirmed. _"I'm human-raised."_

Butterfree, who happened to pass by as he said it, squeaked in fright. _"Wait! So, you mean you–you're…_ domesticated _?"_

He looked like he wanted to dive for cover.

" _Well, yes,"_ Bulbasaur said, sounding somewhat amused by the reaction. _"Born and bred for a trainer, as it was."_

" _But, why are you here then?"_ Pikachu asked.

The hybrid hesitated. _"…I was the last pick."_

" _Please do elaborate."_ Pidgeotto gently prompted.

Bulbasaur looked at her hesitantly, then at Pikachu, before he seemingly found whatever it was he was searching for.

" _I was offered to new trainers a one out of three 'starters', as human call it. They got to pick in order and by the time my trainer got to choose, I was the only one left."_ His face darkened. _"She… wasn't happy to get me."_

Bulbasaur sighed, suddenly embarrassed. _"We ended up going our separate ways. I came across Melanie, and since then I've stayed with her, helping out where I can."_

The pokémon were silent as they digested his story.

"Hey guys!" Ash called from outside the hut, Misty and Brock by his side. "We're leaving!"

Pikachu felt a bit disappointed by the announcement. He would not have minded to stay for a bit longer, especially as he was just getting to know the surly grass-type…

" _I thank you for your hospitality, and for your story – this show of trust is appreciated,"_ Pidgeotto said, bowing gracefully. Bulbasaur looked a bit stunned, clearly not used to dealing with the flying-types kin.

" _It was nice to meet you,"_ Pikachu said. Bulbasaur met his eyes.

" _Same,"_ he finally allowed. Pikachu thought it sounded sincere.

As they made their way over to join the trainers, Pikachu turned to Pidgeotto with a frown. _"There was something more to that."_

" _A life's tale is long and extensive, and will if retold always leave things out,"_ Pidgeotto said. Her tone adopted a cautionary tone as she continued, _"He only had to share what he himself chose to tell. Anything he did not divulge does not concern us."_

But Pikachu had seen her make eye-contact and knew she had gathered more from the encounter than he had. The knowing glint in her gaze told him she knew, yet chose not to share. She could read a person with a look, why would she not use it?

Then he thought of his own story which she likewise knew the details off, and suddenly he understood. Pidgeotto wielded a lot of power with the simple glance of an eye but chose to restrain it by keeping everyone's secrets for herself. It was a humbling realisation, and he gained a new sort of respect for his teammate.

Butterfree shrugged, not that it was easy to notice with his build. _"Well, he seemed nice. Even if he's domesticated."_

Pikachu had never understood such prejudices. It was common for wildborns to look with some trepidation at those born in captivity, and some saw them as weird or even unnatural, which was a grave accusation. Pikachu had always preferred to form his own opinions, but he knew more than well how some were less than accepting of those who were different.

Butterfree's reaction had been a little bit over the top though, which was ironic all things considered. Interestingly, he had apparently not made that connection yet…

Pikachu's inner troll could not resist.

" _You know trainer pokémon like us count as domesticated too, right?"_

The fact that Butterfree went bug-eyed at that piece of information spoke for itself.

* * *

The gym was empty. That was good.

She carefully snuck down the hall, nervously listening for any sounds or hints of footsteps. The gym leaders never worked late, but if this happened to be the one night when they did… she needed to be careful.

The corridor was fortunately devoid of life, and she hurried down the hall towards the storerooms. She looked around as she searched for the right door, and when she found it, took a deep breath before she opened it. It was dark, and after a moment of deliberation she flicked on the lights. It was risky, but she would not be able to find what she was looking for otherwise.

Misty took in the room, glancing distastefully at the different water props the gym leaders used in their occasional water shows, although word on the street spoke of an increased number of them in the last month alone. Misty disapproved. This was a gym, not some cheap menagerie for entertainment.

She opened one of the crates, and her memory proved to be right as it was filled with her possessions. She purposefully searched through its contents and grinned in triumph as she found her prize, the small letters beneath the rim marking the pokéball and the pokémon within as hers. A few more trinkets were claimed before she pulled the crate shut, and she was just about to leave when a sound startled her. She turned, staring in disbelief when she saw who it was. "Psyduck?"

The small, yellow duck looked up at her dumbly. He quacked.

"What are you doing here?" she muttered, glancing around. He was alone, thankfully.

Psyduck simply stared at her. Her eyes caught onto a pokéball on the floor, which looked like it had been dislodged as she had opened the crate and subsequently released its inhabitant. Why it had been so precariously placed, she did not know, but she did not want to stay even a minute longer than necessary.

"Come on, back in your 'ball," she said, picking it up and readying to return him.

Psyduck quacked, sounding pitiful, and Misty paused. The duck was, to put it in the gentlest of terms, not the sharpest 'mon in the gym. He was too dumb for gym battles, too ugly for the water shows and in general to dim for anyone to see him as something worth their time. The other pokémon avoided him, and he was most often forgotten and left in his pokéball. And now, it had ended up in the storage room, out of the way and out of sight.

The outcast of the gym. Just like her.

"Return," she said, letting him disappear in flash, and she looked around the room. No one would notice if he was missing. Making a quick decision, she threw the 'ball in her bag, flicked of the lights and headed out of the gym, the same way she had come.

She intended to keep her promise.

* * *

"I'm Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, future Pokémon Master!" Ash called out confidently as he strode through the front door, "I'm here to challenge the gym… leader…?"

Only then did he notice that the room was empty.

Pikachu's ears twitched, and Ash turned to see a figure come walking towards him from the other end of the room. She looked familiar, or so Ash thought, especially with that annoyed expression…

"What are you doing here? We only give out autographs directly after the shows."

Ash stared at her, clueless. What? This was the gym, right?

"Uh… I'm Ash Ketchum! I'm here for a gym battle…?" he repeated uncertainly.

The girl's mouth formed an 'O' in understanding. "You're, like, a challenger…"

The girl dug into the bag she had slung over her shoulder and pulled out a small symbol. "Here. It's the Cascade Badge," she said as she shoved it into Ash's unsuspecting hand. "Like, it should look good on the wall…"

Ash stared down at the badge in shock. It was a light blue and shaped like a water droplet. His second badge! And without even having to fight for it!

So why did it feel so empty?

After the battle in Pewter, Ash had been happy beyond reason. When Brock had given him the Boulder Badge, he had felt a rush of accomplishment that he had since then longed to experience again. Where was that moment of euphoria, now that the Boulder badge had been joined by the Cascade Badge?

While the gnawing feeling of disappointment grew inside, he realised he had been looking forward more to the battle itself than the badge he had been given. The Cerulean Gym battle had been an exiting challenge to look forward to, and he had been hyped ever since he heard of it.

Was that it? The lack of accomplishment… was it because there was no challenge involved?

The trainer stared at the badge, suddenly finding it much less interesting than what he had moments ago. His resolve hardened, and clenched his fist around the thing. That was just what it was, a piece of metal. A symbol lacking any meaning. The one he had won in Pewter was significant due to what it represented.

"Um, thank you, but…" Ash began, and the girl looked befuddled, like she had expected him to disappear, "…is it still possible for me to get a battle? I just-"

"Who're you talking to Daisy?" a new voice spoke up. Ash turned and saw two more girls approach, similar in appearance to the first but with wildly different hairstyles and colours.

"Some challenger that, like, doesn't _get the message_ , Violet _,_ " Daisy said, glancing at Ash with a frown.

Ash frowned. "I'm supposed to beat the gym leader to earn a badge."

"So what? I can clearly see you have one there," the girl called Violet said.

"Yeah… but I want to _fight_ for it, not be given it!" Ash ground out.

"What's so important about the gym battle?" the still-unnamed girl said, and Ash clenched his fist.

"Well Lily, a lot if you ask Misty…" Violet responded.

"That runt can't care that much since she decided to just run off and leave!" Lily hissed back.

"Wait, what? Misty?" Ash blurted out, surprise momentarily drowning out his anger. Then the second sentence registered. "Wait, _runt_?!"

"Yeah, the runt sibling of the sensational sisters," Violet said. "Fits her, since she's the smallest in the family and all."

Ash was slow to process the revelation. "…You're her _sisters_?"

Violet looked mildly interested. "You've met? Well, ain't that cute,"

"Yeah, but it ain't like you can tell the relation, right Daisy?"

"Right…" Daisy agreed, but it sounded subdued.

"Don't insult her! She's my friend!" Ash bristled. Pikachu's cheeks sparked in anger. He liked Misty.

"Calm down shorty," Lily placated him. "Misty's just… not cut from the same material as the rest of us. Like, she doesn't have our looks, or talents, and she doesn't have any taste in fashion…"

Ash stopped listening to her rant, trying to not combust where he stood. Finally, he exhaled loudly and pointed accusingly at the three of them. "Look, I don't care if you insult me, or Pikachu – because you do that on your own risk – but don't you dare say such things about Misty! Now, for the last time! _Where is my gym battle_?!"

"Sorry, but… we simply just don't _do_ battle's anymore," Violet pouted. "The water shows take too much time right now, and it's no fun losing all the time. But you have the badge now, so you can–"

"If you're not gonna give me an honest chance to fight for my badge, well, _then I don't want it_!" Ash spat and threw the symbol to the ground. He spun on his heels and stormed out of the building while Pikachu glowered back at the girls. The bewildered sensational sisters stared at his retreating back with frowns on their faces.

* * *

Misty stared up at the ceiling. It was painted in a pleasant blue colour, much like everything else in Cerulean City. While most cities went overboard she had never minded the calming blue hues of her own hometown. She might fear her sisters, but Cerulean had always meant peace.

She sat up on her bed as she heard footsteps by the door, and her eyes widened as Ash stepped into the room. Misty had declined to follow him to the gym earlier in the day by saying she had an errand to run, but he did not seem surprised to see her. Dread pooled in her stomach as she realized that he _knew_.

"Why didn't you tell me you were a gym leader?"

She had feared how he would react to that knowledge. It had seen so unimportant to begin with, but as time went on she realised she was keeping a monstrous secret from him that could potentially make him want to end their friendship. She tried to not sink in on herself, and she could not quite make herself meet his eyes.

"Because… I'm not. Not really."

Silence.

"What do you mean?"

Ash did not sound angry or spiteful, like she had expected, and she looked back to see him look more bewildered than anything.

"Y– You're not angry?" she asked, mortified to hear herself _stammer_.

"No, why'd you think that?" Ash asked, scratching his chin. "I'm surprised, and a bit annoyed I guess, but why should I be angry?"

"…I didn't tell you about my sisters," she said faintly.

"Eh, had they been my family I'd not like to talk about them either." He sat down on the opposite bed, and Pikachu jumped down to curl up on the covers. "Besides, Brock knew, right? And he didn't say anything either."

"I asked him to. He must be wondering why."

"If he's ever met your sisters, then he probably knows."

"Guess so…" Misty sighed, feeling her mood drop again. "So, how did the gym battle go?"

"Never happened," Ash grunted. "They just gave me the badge and told me to leave."

" _What_?!" Misty blurted. "They're giving away badges for _free_?"

"Yeah. Asked 'what's so important about gym battles anyway'…!" Ash said, clearly annoyed. Misty smiled tiredly.

"Well, how fortunate for you that you don't need to battle them."

"I threw it away."

Misty blinked. "What?"

"I didn't want it. I didn't come to get a badge, I came to battle the gym leader of Cerulean."

Misty blinked again. She could hardly believe Ash would turn down – less _throw away_ – a badge, but he had apparently done so. Most trainers would just have accepted the freebie as it was, but not all of them. Not those like Ash.

"That's… I'm proud to hear you say that."

He shrugged, seemingly not understanding the character shown by his actions. "Hey, I just thought… if you're also a gym leader, can I battle you instead?"

Misty's smile faded. "Uhm… yes, you– I mean, no! Or, I'm not sure–"

"Eh? Why not?" Ash said in disbelief.

"Because… I'm not a gym leader. Not really." Misty exhaled, trying to explain her feelings on the matter. "Being a gym leader is a lot of responsibility. I'm supposed to be knowledgeable and experienced, as well as be a role model for trainers – and that isn't even touching on all the duties I would have to my city…"

Ash looked thoughtful, like he was genuinely listening to what she was saying. His usual attention span was comparable to that of a growlithe pup in a field of butterfree's, but could when I mattered focus on something with a single-minded purpose. It was usually only reserved for pokémon battles, but now he had deemed what she was telling him of equal importance, if not more.

"…and, as it is, I would only feel like a pretender if I took up the position. Right now, I'm not the defender the Cerulean Gym deserves."

Ash was silent in the wake of her impromptu speech. Misty felt lighter now that she had told him, like the lack of any more secrets had filtered away some of her imperfections. It was… liberating to have shared that knowledge with somebody, and it made them feel closer than before.

"Well… then I'll battle you when you are."

Misty started at Ash's words. She knew how passionate he had been for this gym battle, and she turned to stare at him in wonder.

"Just tell me when you feel ready. But until then… I can wait."

Misty continued to stare. Ash grinned at her speechlessness, extending one hand with all but one fingers clenched. "Pinkie promise?"

She burst out laughing, offering her own finger to wrap around his. "Pinkie promise."

"Great!" Ash declared. "You better prepare Misty, otherwise I'll beat you hands down!"

"Oh yeah? I'm gonna give you the battle of your life, so get ready to be stomped!"

"Hah! I'm the one that's gonna come out on top!"

"I hope you can do better than that," someone spoke up by the door. "Otherwise, I might have to teach you the ropes."

They both turned in surprise. "Brock!"

He did a small wave with one hand. "Hey Ash? I picked up the medicine that Melanie wanted at the mart, but when I turned up at the gym, the gorgeous leaders said that you had already left. What was that about?"

"Oh, sorry!" Ash said. They had been supposed to meet up there for the gym battle, but he had apparently forgotten. "I… they weren't challenging enough for me, so Misty here said she'll do it instead once she gets strong enough!"

Brock nodded seriously, but Misty caught the amused twitch at the corner of his mouth. She thought his entrance had been a little _too_ perfect… had he arrived earlier but decided to not ruin the moment by entering sooner?

The guy was a treasure. Even if he was a womaniser, and had described her sisters as 'gorgeous'…

"Now, how about we head back to the Hidden Village tomorrow?" Brock said. "Since Melanie tasked us with restocking her supply of medicine, we shouldn't keep her waiting. As I always say, 'anything for a beautiful lady'…"

Misty smiled. The day had turned out good in the end.

* * *

Bulbasaur had not always been the cynical pokémon most knew him as. He could still remember a time when he had been far more naïve and cheerful, back when he had known very little of the real world outside of his breeding pen. Back before it had been tainted by cruel reality.

Then came the day when he had been offered as a starter. Squirtle had gone first, followed by Charmander, and Bulbasaur had ended up as the dreaded 'last pick'. His trainer was clear that was what she saw him as, but they had made due with each other despite her animosity towards him, and although they never were completely at peace they had still managed a working relationship as pokémon and trainer.

That was, until the day when they had met another trainer and his venusaur, Bruteroot. The older 'mon had scared Bulbasaur both in her presence and attitude, and had spoken with a chilling venom that had cut Bulbasaur to the core. Her contemptuous words… they had wounded him, and Bulbasaur had been stunned to learn how hurtful some could be to others. She had added to his pains as she made his trainer realise what his final evolution looked like, and the disdainful look he had been subjected to had torn him even more.

He had never been as devastated as when his trainer finally freed him from her service. It was a form of rejection like no other – it marked a pokémon as insignificant, of no worth, and it was a trauma few ever overcame. Bulbasaur had been ready to give up completely when he had crawled into Melanie's backyard, but the kind woman had saved him, patched him up and nursed him back to health. She had offered for him to stay at the Hidden Village for as long as he wanted, and her compassion had given him a sense of purpose again.

His time at the village had turned into a time for healing. Bulbasaur had busied himself with helping where he could, assisting Melanie as well as breaking up fights between the village's residents. He had grown in the role of a mediator, and had as a result gained a reputation as a fair and trustworthy figure of authority among the pokémon of the area. And through his hard work, Bulbasaur finally came to terms with his past and nowadays credited his tumultuous time with his trainer for his virtues. It had for better or worse shaped him into the 'mon he was today, and he was content with the life he led.

Then a trained and his pokémon had stumbled into the village.

Bulbasaur had not thought much of them at first. He had accepted his past, not forgotten it, and opted to stay away from the trainer and his kind. His pokémon though had been a surprisingly pleasant bunch, even if he was resigned to see their ignorance and blind admiration for their master. They would learn, he had thought. Nevertheless, he had enjoyed their company and had honestly been saddened to see them go.

But they came back. Turns out Melanie had asked them for a favour, and they had carried it out exemplary. He liked to think Melanie was a good judge of character, so he gingerly accepted their presence from there on, even if he did not trust them. Rather, he was mystified by them. Bulbasaur thought trainers were uncaring, ambitious beings of shallow hearts, but what he had seen of this one did not match that idea. And as the hybrid had never succeeded as a peacekeeper through a rigid mindset, he conceded that his opinion might not be accurate.

No fair judgement could be cast without all the involved factors, and so Bulbasaur took the chance to observe and interact with the trainer's pokémon some more. Judge the leader by their followers, as they say, and Bulbasaur sought to unravel the anomaly that was the trainer through his pokémon. He was befuddled to see their loyalty was genuine, and not forced in any way. They were healthy and growing – a sign of well-being for any lifeform – and appeared content with their situation. It called out to Bulbasaur, who himself still wished for a bond of that kind but had renounced the trainer lifestyle long ago. He mulled over thoughts he would never have considered just a few days earlier.

Now he found himself on the verge of outright asking what their deal was. He was reluctant to do so, as he feared the answer and what effect it might have on him. They had an aura about them that made you trust them, and it kind of terrified him what effect that would have on their persuasive skills.

But the opportunity could not be ignored. He summoned up the spores, took a deep breath and asked:

" _What do you see in him?"_

Pikachu was startled by the sudden question. He looked up from his breakfast, a small pile of tamato berries, and tilted his head as a prompt for clarification. _"Who?"_

" _Your trainer,"_ Bulbasaur said, stone-faced.

The electric-type blinked. He stalled, like he was searching for words that could convey his answer in the best way, and began to speak. _"When I first met him, I didn't see much at all. I rejected him, even attacked him, but… he continued to try and earn my respect. It took a while, but I've since then come to accept him as a part of my life I felt I was lacking before."_

Pikachu paused, looking up at the bright sky sprinkled with clouds. _"But what I see now… he's honest. He never puts training or battling above my well-being, or his own feelings above my own. He relies on me, but asks for my strength instead of demanding it, and as such I feel I can rely on him too. He sees pokémon and humans as equals, and to him that's perfectly reasonable."_

Bulbasaur digested his explanation. _"So, what you're saying is… he respects you, and in return, you respect him."_

" _Pretty much."_

Bulbasaur was silent, and Pikachu left him to sort out his thoughts. He had been born for his purpose as a starter, had been fostered to believe he was to be an obedient follower, but that world-view had faded with time as he realised the selfishness of his old trainer. But it had left him feeling empty, like he no longer knew the way life was supposed to work. What was a trainer and pokémon's relationship supposed to be, if that was not the case?

Now Pikachu said his role was not that of a subordinate, but of an equal. Their relationship was a mutual thing, not a one-sided affair like he had previously thought. It was symbiotic. As a grass-type with a secondary system in the form of a plant growing on his back, this comparison appealed to him greatly.

But was that enough to convince him? He wanted to grow, but knew his potential had been reached as it was. He could see a clear, open alterative in front of him – but how could he be sure?

Right. His mind was made up.

" _I'm sorry about this."_

" _Wha–?"_

Pikachu lost his breath as two vines slammed into his side. He pushed himself to his feet, rasping in Bulbasaur's direction, _"What was that f–!"_

He was again cut off, forced to clumsily dodge the Razor Leaves that shredded the grass in the spot he had previously been occupying. Bulbasaur paused in his assault, giving the other 'mon a chance to gather himself.

"Pikachu!"

Said mouse's trainer came rushing from the direction of Melanie's hut, concern clear on his face. When he finished checking that his pokémon was okay, he turned to Bulbasaur with what the hybrid thought to be a legitimately terrifying glare. He squashed the twinge of worry that this might have been a hasty action on his part – he was a trainer, he would recognise the challenge soon enough.

"Why did you do that for?!" he exclaimed, and Bulbasaur felt his eyes widened as the human moved in between him and the downed mouse.

"Bulbasaur never battles without reason," Melanie said as she arrived with the rest of the humans. "I believe he wants something…"

"What then?" the trainer huffed.

"Why don't you ask him?" Melanie asked.

He paused. He glanced at the hybrid, who waited patiently, and slowly began, "…Do you want to battle us, Bulbasaur?"

This was this moment after which there was no turning back. He could still forget all of this and move on with his life without any more involvement of trainers and battles… but he wanted to see what Pikachu spoke of with his own eyes. And combat always revealed a person's true character.

" _Show me why you should be my trainer."_

Despite the barriers that existed between them, verbal as well as racial… the trainer still seemed to understand. His glinted with determination, and he nodded.

Pikachu huffed, looking somewhat disgruntled over Bulbasaur's cheap shot earlier, but his sparking cheeks betrayed his excitement. _"I thought you considered yourself a diplomat."_

" _It's true that I prefer talking to fighting… but sometimes, actions speak louder than words,"_ he said, and lashed out with his vines. Pikachu easily dodged the dual Vine Whips, firing of a Thunder Shock in retaliation that Bulbasaur similarly avoided, and that set off a lengthy exchange of leaves and bolts.

They ceased fire as they realised they were evenly matched on the range front, and Pikachu's trainer decided to change tactics. "Iron Tail!"

Pikachu shot forwards, attack on the ready, and Bulbasaur waited patiently for him to close the distance before he released his prepared Poison Powder – willing to take the blow, if it also allowed him to poison his foe. But Pikachu reacted swiftly, slamming the glowing tail into the ground and vaulting over the purple cloud of danger. _"I've faced that move more than a dozen times! I know what tricks to use against it!"_

" _I got some tricks myself,"_ Bulbasaur replied, exerting his will on the powder. He pulled at it, sending it out to surround Pikachu in two cloudy arms which the mouse did not see in time to escape. Bulbasaur missed what order the trainer gave as he lost sight of the mouse behind the purple dust, and was badly startled as it lit up from the inside with an ominous light.

" _Discharge!"_

The Poison Powder exploded as bolts of lightning broke out in every direction, lacking in target or intent but not needing it as it hit everything in the immediate vicinity. Bulbasaur gritted his teeth as he was hit, feeling it course through muscle and cellulose alike, but endured it until the attack ran its short if intense course. He looked up to find the air suspiciously free from dust, and Pikachu sitting in the middle of a sizeable scorch mark on the ground.

" _You used your attack to incinerate the spores. Clever."_

Pikachu stumbled to his feet, offering a tired grin. _"Butterfree's fond of using it when I train against him, so we thought of some way to counter it."_

Bulbasaur nodded slowly. He extended his vines, giving Pikachu a moment of warning before he swept for him, and he noted with some interest that the mouse did not seem to be trying to attack on his own.

" _Did you unload all your stored charge into that move?"_

Pikachu started. _"How'd you know?"_

" _You'd normally return fire by now, which indicates that you haven't generated enough electricity to do so,"_ Bulbasaur pointed out. He added with some wry amusement, _"And, you called out 'Discharge' for all to hear."_

Pikachu looked a bit mareepish as he continued to avoid, but it did not take long before he began to let off Thunder Shocks again.

They continued like that for another minute, and as neither fighter have much endurance they soon begin to run out of steam. Pikachu had ben nicked by a few Razor Leaves, and Bulbasaur was limping from being caught in the leg by a Thunder Wave. The hybrid panted, impressed by his opponents' skill, but he knew he had to cut an end to the fight. Just as Pikachu was in the middle of a leap, Bulbasaur's vines turned with a speed he had not yet shown and swiftly ensnared him in a tight grip (eliciting a strangled "Not again!" from Pikachu) and brought him over. He began to squeeze in an improvised wrap, believing the battle to almost be over as he watched Pikachu thrash helplessly…

…until he noticed the dark, ominous aura outlining the mouse, whose eyes glinted sinisterly.

"… _What are you plotting?"_ Bulbasaur asked cautiously.

" _Some nasty things."_ Pikachu smirked, cheeks crackling with heightened attack-power, before he Discharged.

The vines lead a majority of the attack directly into Bulbasaur, who could not react in time. It only lasted for a few seconds, after which the vines loosened around Pikachu as they fell limp, and Bulbasaur's legs gave out. He coughed, small shocks still sparking across his skin.

" _Well,"_ he managed, _"…would you look at that…"_

" _Good fight,"_ Pikachu said, swaying unsteadily, and his trainer was just fast enough to catch him as he fell over. He blinked tiredly, looking back at Bulbasaur. _"So, what happens now?"_

Bulbasaur glanced towards the trainer. He looked back expectantly.

Right. No turning back.

" _I never had too great of an experience with my trainer,"_ he began. _"But… one is hardly representative of them all, and I'd like to see how yours might be different."_ He grinned, nodding. _"I accept."_

The trainer's eyes lit up like stars, radiant and beautiful, and his face split into a blinding grin. Pikachu also grinned broadly, and even Melanie smiled, although hers was tinged by sadness. Bulbasaur also felt it, but he did not want to put a damper on this new start.

"Great!" his new trainer exclaimed. "I'm more than happy to have you, Bulbasaur. I won't let you down."

" _Nice to meet you, teammate,"_ Pikachu welcomed him.

Bulbasaur managed a grin. _"Same."_

* * *

 **End of Chapter**

* * *

 ***Cellulose:** plant material.

* * *

 **[AN]: I'm ba-ack!**

 **This is the first chapter in a planned trilogy. Time to introduce the Kanto trio!**

 **My strategy here was to adhere to the roots, but adding enough new stuff to keep it interesting. Like that part about the 'Hidden Grotto'. I try to implement elements from the games if I see the oppertunity, and I thought this was an interesting way to bring in this unique phenomenon from B2 &W2 into the canon world, expanding upon the lore as well as opening up for further world-building.**

 **Bulbasaur is one of my favourite characters. I imagine him to be a precocious type of person, with strong core values and rationale. He is a willing listener and open-minded individual, as well as a pacifist. But he is more than capable as a fighter, so don't underestimate him.**

 **I'm sorry about the sensational sisters. I always try to treat characters fairly to avoid bashing, but they are so easy to make despicable.**

 **Next up: Chapter 7** **– Blaze.** **Until then!**

 **[EDIT 2017/11/20]: Revised chapter.**


	8. Chapter 7 - Blaze

**Veriqi does not own Pokémon.**

 **Don't forget to fav, follow and favouri** **te!**

 **If you wonder anything about my progress on coming chapters, you can always visit my profile.**

* * *

 **Some further answering for some further questioning:**

 **[Trooper]: Will you include Kingler in this story?**

 **[Veriqi]:** _I'm so glad you asked that! This happens to be something I've been thinking a lot about._

 _Kingler is a character I'd like to give some characerisation, especially as underused as he was. However, too many new additions might resttrain more than enhance the already existing cast. The Kanto team is infamous, but with the original six being completed in upcoming chapters I'm forced to cut down on the less prominent members; Muk, Tauros and Kingler comes to mind (and I_ do not _have the time to develop 30 tauros!_ ). _I either don't know what to do with them, don't think they will bring anything of interest to the table or believe they are too similar to our beloved tiny turtle pokémonto justify their presence._

 _As such, Kingler will most likely not end up on Ash's rooster. Maybe a cameo, though._

* * *

 **Chapter 7 – Blaze**

 _by Veriqi_

* * *

Sounds of explosions and blaring alarms filled the building. Hurried footsteps clattered through the hallways as people ran for cover, and echoes of pokémon attacks followed as the pursuers tried to . She could not spot anyone injured, but that was no reassurance to her.

Professor Monita, head scientist at the PROGENY facility, stumbled but hurried on without pause. She needed to reach the main lab, to ensure that her colleagues were safe, that they were fine, and to make them stop worry over what had happened to her. Time was off the essence, and she was quickly running out.

A closed doorway detonated in her path, and the professor fell over in shock. She coughed and tried to crawl to her feet, only to look up into the bared fangs of a raticate. Not for the first time that day, the professor wished she had a pokémon of her own.

"Dragonite, Fire Punch!"

A flaming fist collided with the rat, and it had already fainted as it hit the wall with a slam. Its master turned to flee, but only managed about three steps before he crashed to the ground out cold, courtesy of Dragonite's Thunderbolt.

"Professor! Are you alright?"

Monita blindly grasped for the offered hand, and he helped pull herself to her feet. She looked up to meet his eyes and was soothed by the concerned but calm composure that met her. But Lance Wataru had that effect on people.

"Don't worry about me. What about the others? What about the pokémon?"

"I was heading towards the main lab when I came cross you," the Dragon Master replied. The limp body by his boot got no mention. "Let me escort you there. The whole building is crawling with hostiles."

"I would appreciate it." Monita sighed, nervously glancing at the red 'R' on the unconscious man's uniform.

Team Rocket. She did not know why they were here, but it could not possibly be for anything good.

He took the lead, flanked by Dragonite, and they ran across a few more intruders the dragon had to deal with before reaching the doors of the main lab. The guards had no time to draw their pokéballs before Dragonite Thunder Waved them, and Lance stepped over them without a second glance. Inside the lab, a dozen scientists and assistants kneeled under watch by four Rocket operatives, a fifth bent over the computer in the corner under the supervision of a redheaded woman in a white uniform, a contrast against the others black ones. She looked up as they entered the lab, and her eyes widened as she recognised the caped man in the front.

"The Champion–?" She cursed. "How?!"

"I was paying a surprise visit," Lance spoke, and Monita could not help but marvel at Team Rocket's timing. To attack on the same day as the strongest trainer of two regions just happened to be there… what were the odds? "It's over, Ariana."

The woman's eyes narrowed. "It's time to pull out boys. We have enough." She lifted her wrist com to her lips, and spoke, "This is executive Ariana, calling all operatives. Full retreat, I repeat, full retreat. The Champion is present. All units pull back to exit point B."

The agent by the computer pulled out a data disc, and the others sent out their pokémon. Rattata and zubat soon filled the room, and the scientists dove for cover as the Rockets moved away from the middle of the room-turned battlefield.

Lance commanded with an eerie calm, "Dragon Rush."

Dragonite shot forward, covered in a roaring aura of azure energy of neigh-on unmatchable power. The Rocket´s pokémon did not stand a chance as Lance's partner tore through them, and the dragon showed its proficiency as it cancelled the move before ramming into any wall. A quarter ton of muscle turned to face the Rocket executive, who lingered by the back door her subordinates had used as retreat

She lobbed a pokéball at them, ordering, "Electrode, cover us!" and then she bolted. The materialising pokémon grunted and lit up with a blinding light, one that made Monita pale as she recognised the move.

"Dragonite!" Lance roared.

The Champion's pokémon acted without hesitation and rushed forwards, enveloping the electrode with its large forelimbs. A second later, the Explosion went off.

A deafening _BANG_ hit the eardrums of everybody in the room, and Monita lost all the air in her lungs as she was slammed against the wall by the blast. She blearily opened her eyes when she regained her breathing, and she tried to climb to her feet.

The room was in disarray, but not as badly damaged as she thought it would be. None of the scientists or assistants seemed to be seriously injured, and Lance was already checking on those slightly worse for wear. Her eyes turned to the centre of the blast, where Dragonite slowly straightened over an unconscious electrode, the weak shimmer of Barrier fading from his skin.

Right. It knew that move, for some reason.

Lance turned to address the room, "I suggest we move to a different location. This part of the building might be structurally unsafe."

No one argued. They filed out of the lab, and reconvened a couple of doors down the hall in the computer terminal, which appeared undamaged from the Rocket's attack. Most scientists were still in shock, but Monita gathered herself and turned to one of her subordinates.

"Assistant Noto," she said, and the young man straightened. "I want a list of all rooms reporting forced entry. We need to run damage control and narrow down what parts of the facility that were targeted by the attackers."

He nodded and sat down by one of the computers. With a couple of clicks, he had the security logs displayed on the screen.

"The databank experienced an intrusion from the now destroyed main lab, and had about 30% of its contents downloaded – mainly scientific formulas, research related to elemental biology and the most recent documentations of artificial genetic growth."

There was some murmuring among the group.

"There are some reported breaches in the lower labs, as well as in the sanitation area, but it's possible they used the former as a diversion and the second as a form of exit – it would have provided them with a clear way out of the facility." Noto paused. "There's also a notified intrusion in the hatchery–"

Lance looked concerned. "What about… the egg?"

Monita, and all others present, knew exactly what the Dragon Master was referring to. It was the very reason for his visit, after all.

"Stolen, Mr Champion. Along with several other unidentified–"

A heart-breaking wail tore through the room, and Dragonite bowed its head in sorrow. The Champion eased one hand onto his partner's nose, murmuring unintelligible words despite his own devastated expression. Nobody had the heart to speak as the mighty dragon cried out its sorrow, but Monita's practicality finally won over. She cleared her throat.

"With all due respect, Mr Champion…" she began, "while I can understand your grief, know that we must immediately respond to this attack. The evidence suggests that Team Rocket is in possession of an egg sired through Project Legacy…"

The head professor trailed of, the grave implications clear to all. Lance collected himself, and the face that rose to meet the gathered scientists were not the gentle one of Lance Wataru, but the face of the Champion of both Kanto and Johto.

"Yes, that is a matter of grave concern. Professor Monita; you will organize the cleanup process and unravel exactly what Team Rocket has gained from this attack. I will return to Indigo Plateau to inform the Elite Four, and the League will provide support as fast as possible. Now, get to it!" With a sweep of his cape, the Champion turned and marched out of the room, followed by a sombre-looking Dragonite.

"Should we alert Gym Leader Blaine Katsura of the attack?" Noto suddenly asked, and Monita considered it for a moment.

"Yes. Because of his involvement in Project Legacy, it would be best if he was informed. But I will handle that matter myself, assistant."

Noto nodded, and the scientists all went to work. Monita lead the recovery effort, handing out assignments and directions to the left and right. But all the while, her thoughts were wholly on the stolen egg, the product of one of the most ambitious projects in modern breeding history.

Project Legacy, more formally known as the Legacy breeding program, was a wide-reaching experiment that brought together some of the most powerful pokémon of this day and age, all to create eggs with the highest genetic potential. It was bad enough to know one of them was now in the possession of terrorists, but it was even more worrying when she stopped to consider its parentage.

The sheer potential of the offspring was frankly terrifying.

* * *

 **15 Months Later**

* * *

Charmander blinked tiredly. He stared at a spot among the trees he thought to be moving, but soon realised it was only a trick of his mind. That, and the shadow of a bush.

Damian had said he would return, although he never specified when. But Charmander was an obedient pokémon, and while he may be hungry and exhausted, he could deal with it. At least better than many of the others on the team, like Nidoking. Or Scyther – That 'mon was funny, but he could not sit still to save his life.

A sound made him perk up, as it sounded like a voice. Charmander was elated when he recognised it as human speech, until he noticed the younger quality, much closer to a light tenor than Damian's gruff, richer tone.

"–about here Pi, do you think this could be a good place for some training?"

" _Maybe."_

"Yeah, this clearing's good!" the human, whom Charmander now also saw was a trainer, said. "Now– hey, is that a charmander?"

" _I think so."_

Charmander watched warily as the trainer got closer, and he did not stop until he was standing so close that he had to sharply tilt his head. He grinned. "Hi there Charmander!"

The lizard eyed him carefully. He was not so naïve to lower his guard around a friendly face, and he tried to work out what purpose this trainer might have. Hopefully not malicious.

The Pikachu vacated his spot on the trainer's shoulder, landing lightly on the rock by his side. _"Nice to meetcha!"_ He looked confused over Charmander's continued silence, but was not deterred. _"Are you from around here? Or are you travelling…?"_

Charmander nodded, hoping it would satisfy the mouse if he answered in some way. Damian was travelling, so he was doing it by association.

"Hey, little guy… what're you doing out here?" the trainer asked.

The 'little guy' was somewhat miffed at the remark, and he did not deign it with an answer.

" _Hey, you okay?"_

Charmander used Scary Face. The mouse seemed to get the message and backed off. The trainer of course missed that exchange, and repeated his question.

Although with a certain difference.

"Hey Pikachu, can you ask him what he's doing out here?"

Charmander was bemused by that request, and he watched with surprise as Pikachu nodded and turned to him. _"Well, all dangers of sounding like a mime jr. aside, but… yeah, what_ are _you doing out here?"_

" _I'm waiting for my trainer."_

Pikachu relayed that to his trainer with a strange series of squeaks and pantomimes. To Charmander's astonishment, the trainer nodded in understanding.

"Well, I hope he comes back soon," he said. "You don't mind if we use the clearing for some training, right? Good, then I'll bring out the rest of the team!"

The lizard watched, feeling rather lost, as the human strolled away, light bounce in his steps as if the world could only be right.

" _Don't worry. In my experience, he has that kind of charm about him."_ Pikachu paused. _"Well, not if you ask the rattata, but I've never understood their taste–"_

Charmander glared. _"Get lost."_

" _Okay…"_

And with that, the mouse returned to his trainer's side. Or head, since he was sitting on the human's shoulder, but who cared. The trainer swiftly released a pidgeotto, a butterfree and a bulbasaur, the latter of which looked rather new judging by his hesitant interactions with the other pokémon. Charmander soon lost interest in the weird group and resumed waiting.

He estimated it to be about a human hour later when the human suddenly strolled over to the rock with several berries in his arms, which he proceeded to unceremoniously dump next to the startled lizard. "Hey Charmander! We were having some snacks, and we thought we'd share some. Now, what'd you prefer? Tamato or qualot?"

No. Not _food_.

It defeated the whole purpose of the test! Damian might not have said as much, but his order had carried a lot of hidden meanings. He could not break any of the possible rules, or Damian would get angry, and that usually turned out to be painful. And he would rather take hunger over pain any day.

Despite the hollow feeling in his belly, he turned his nose away from the berries and stared resolutely at a random leaf. Do not think of it, do not acknowledge it…

"Hey… you sure? You look like you could use some food, you know."

Charmander continued to ignore him, and the human sighed and left him alone. Although he left the berries. Charmander was not tempted by them in the least.

It did not take long for Pikachu to be back, and the lizard swept his tail around himself, clear pokésign for 'leave me alone you insistent social beautifly', but Pikachu did not care. Of course.

" _Sorry if he's insistent, but the idiot only means well."_

Charmander's head snapped around. _"You can't disrespect your trainer like that!"_ he said with horror.

" _I wasn't disrespectful,"_ Pikachu claimed, nonperturbed. _"It's a sign of familiarity. And, he kind of is one."_

" _Wha…?"_

" _Besides, he calls me fuzzball sometimes. It's only fair,"_ Pikachu continued, not seeming to notice Charmander's flabbergasted reaction.

" _He's your trainer! You can't insult him because he talks down to you! That's what a trainer does to show you displease him!"_

Pikachu gave him an odd look, then snorted. _"I'm not his slave. But insulting each other without being insulted is what we do. We're friends, you see."_

…Friends? How?

When he noticed Pikachu's peculiar glance, he realized he had said that out loud.

" _Doesn't your trainer care for you?"_ the mouse asked.

Charmander grew defensive. _"He does! He wishes for us to get stronger, and he is fair with his punishments. I get food as long as I do as he says."_ Well, as long as he remembered to feed them, but it was a fair mistake.

Pikachu looked mildly bothered for some reason.

" _Huh… okay. So, why refuse to eat?"_

Charmander blinked at the change in topic. _"I'm not supposed to leave the rock until he comes back. It's my punishment for slacking off, since I can't get food without breaking the rules. It doesn't matter if you get it for me – it still ruins the purpose of the test._

Pikachu's ear twitched. _"Test?"_

" _To prove my obedience,"_ he explained. This was worrying – did he not know how it worked? _"If I can fulfil his expectations, then he knowns I can follow his commands. It's only to make sure I'm a good pokémon."_

Pikachu hesitated. _"Say, how long have you been here? …Waiting?"_

A flurry of light and dark slashed before his eyes. Charmander was about to answer, but Pikachu's tentative delivery made him pause.

" _Some time,"_ he hedged. The precise number of days could not be important. _"But he'll be here soon, I'm sure."_

Pikachu regarded him for a long while. He was growing uncomfortable under the look, and just as he was about to speak up, the mouse shrugged, seemingly dismissively.

" _Well, I'm not gonna bother you anymore. Have fun… waiting. But you should know,"_ he said, dark eyes filled with something unreadable, _"that_ my _trainer doesn't need to test his team's loyalty."_

With that, he bounded off towards the rest of his team. Leaving Charmander to ponder his last words.

* * *

" _What are your thoughts on evolution?"_

Pikachu looked away from the mock-battle between their other teammates. _Teammates_. Never did Bulbasaur think he would say that again. His previous trainer had caught other pokémon, but he never got close to them as their trainer had singled him out. And this time had already proven to grow on him more quickly than the first.

He was still watching the trainer, Ash, but he had yet to do anything that made Bulbasaur reconsider his decision. His trainer had a talent for making you trust in him, and Bulbasaur was not _too_ worried that it would all turn into a big disappointment.

But back to the matter at hand. There was something he had wanted to ask for a while, and he hoped Pikachu would be able to provide him with an answer.

" _You mean… how I feel about it?"_

" _Yes. Evolving."_ Bulbasaur thought over his words. _"Do you feel like you_ want _to?"_

" _Honestly, no."_

" _Any reason why?"_

Pikachu hesitated. Bulbasaur knew that for all his friendliness, Pikachu was not one to speak freely of his own insecurities, and he was flattered that the mouse even considered telling him.

" _I'm happy with who I am,"_ he finally said.

Bulbasaur felt there was more coming, so he listened attentively.

" _I want to grow and reach for higher places – in this body,"_ Pikachu gestured to himself. _"Evolving just seems like a cheap shortcut to me. I never understood why powers and abilities would be restricted to my evolutions, as they do all come from within."_

He fell silent for a moment. _"I already evolved once, and only because it was a necessity. I don't think I want, or can, go through that again."_

Bulbasaur thought over it. Slowly, he reciprocated the show of trust.

" _I don't like the idea of becoming someone different."_ Pikachu looked up, and he continued, _"Evolving changes us to the core. What is to say we will still be the same afterwards? What if I lose sight of who I am? What if what makes me… well,_ me _would change?"_

Bulbasaur paused, thinking. He remembered Bruteroot, the venusaur who had ridiculed him and whose hate had poisoned her very surroundings. She made him fear what he might one day become, and he sometimes had nightmares of seeing himself in her body, in that mindset. It might seem irrational, but she had once been a bulbasaur too, and _something_ had clearly corrupted her soul on the way. Who was to say it had not been the strength and sense of superiority brought on by evolution?

He desperately wished he would never lose himself like that.

"… _I don't want that,"_ he said. _"I'd rather remain a bulbasaur forever than cease to be in the light of evolution."_

Pikachu nodded in understanding. _"We may not have the same reasons, but we both have made a choice. And were aware of the limitations that brings upon us, and we accept them."_

" _Question is, would_ he _respect that?"_ Bulbasaur asked. His eyes flickered to their trainer, who was petting a proud Pidgeotto under the chin, and Pikachu followed his gaze.

" _I can't speak for him,"_ Pikachu said, eyes hard. _"But I've told you as much; he never puts his own feelings above our own. I honestly can't imagine him forcing anyone to do something unwillingly."_

Bulbasaur sighed in relief. They watched as the battle before them resumed, and Bulbasaur noticed that Charmander was also spectating. Discreetly, and obviously failing at it.

" _I saw you talking to the scorcher earlier,"_ he began. Pikachu glanced at him, and Bulbasaur continued, _"Why is he sitting there?"_

Pikachu grimaced. _"To prove his_ devotion _."_

" _To whom?"_

" _His trainer. Apparently, he left him there with the instruction not to leave that rock. Not until he returned."_ Pikachu glanced at the lizard. _"I think he's been sitting there for a long time."_

" _That's… disconcerting."_ He met Pikachu's eyes, and it was clear the mouse had the same suspicions as he did. _"Think he might not come back?"_

" _For Charmander's sake, I hope he does,"_ Pikachu sighed. _"But from what I gathered, he did not seem like that type of trainer. Actually, he hit me as the type you might be more familiar with."_

The neglecting kind.

Bulbasaur's heart sank. They might seem quick to judge, but none of them were positive regarding the nature of humans. That insight had surprised Bulbasaur, since Pikachu appeared quite trusting of them, but he had since realised that Pikachu kept his interactions with them to a select few. Outside of Ash, Misty and Brock, Pikachu viewed humans in general with mistrust.

Bulbasaur looked back at their trainer. He was a special case, that was for certain. Bulbasaur had thought he would never be able to trust a trainer again, but Ash had disproven that belief with such an efficiency that it was hard to believe a day had yet to pass since his capture. He simply had that charm about him, as he had heard Pikachu say.

He blinked. He looked back at Charmander, and he felt himself grin.

" _Then we can be glad our trainers around."_

Pikachu quirked an ear, intrigued. _"How so?"_

" _Call it a hunch,"_ Bulbasaur said, eyes straying to their trainer. _"I just have the feeling he wouldn't be fine with such an injustice on his watch. And he tends to leave an impression when he gets involved, as I can tell from experience."_

Pikachu looked surprised, and grinned. _"Who'd knew you'd have such faith in Ash this soon?"_

" _I have faith in a lot of things,"_ Bulbasaur said serenely. _"Especially the helpful Samaritan."_

* * *

The day had been sunny and free of clouds up until then, but it was always a risk to trust the weatherman (or castform, depending on your choice of forecast). In the lapse of only a few minutes, the sky had gone from blue to grey to black and before long, the rain was pouring down.

Ash had returned his flying-types when the downpour got too heavy for them to fly, and the rest of them now sat huddled around the shivering form of Charmander, who Ash before long had scooped up. He tried to share some body heat while also shielding the lizard from the cold rain, and Pikachu and Bulbasaur tried to hold a conversation as to make sure he did not fall asleep. They were not having much luck.

"Charmander, are you alright?"

The fire-type grunted weakly, eyes heavy with fatigue. Ash was sure a pokémon would have struggled if touched by a stranger, but Charmander was not and that worried him. The trainer cursed himself for not paying more attention during Professor Oak's pokémon lectures, and he desperately wished he knew a way to help Charmander–

He nearly facepalmed, the lizards body being the only thing that prevented him from raising his arm. Here he was, worrying about his lack of knowledge, when he had a pokémon encyclopaedia in his pocket! "Dexter, help me!"

The pokédex beeped. **Charmander, a fire-type pokémon. The flame at the end of its tail is directly linked to its life force, and as such is a reliable indicator of its health. If the flame was ever to go out, Charmander would die with it.**

"…would die with it?!" Ash repeated in horror, eyes carting to the small flame, which was usually fist-sized but now compared in strength to a candlelight. "Charmander! You have to wake up!"

The lizard did not respond, and Ash realised with growing panic that he had gone limp in his arms. He needed to get medical attention, but he knew that he would never make it to the Pokémon Center in this weather. Not before it was too late.

In an act of desperation, Ash pulled out an empty pokéball. He doubted if it would work, and kind of dreaded that it would, but if it did it could save Charmander's life. "I'm sorry about this…"

Ash's heart sank as the lizard was absorbed by the pokéball, and it clicked in his hand without any struggle. Ash looked up into the wet faces of Pikachu and Bulbasaur, their faces grim.

"Come on! We've gotta get to the Pokémon Center, now!"

After returning Bulbasaur, Ash took off into the forest, and Pikachu easily kept pace. The trainer knew that the pokéball put the pokémon's physical body in temporary stasis, but he could bear to take it slow. Charmander needed every second.

The thunder rumbled, and the rain continued to pour.

* * *

"Nurse Joy! Please tell me he's going to be alright!"

Brock was of similar sentiments. Any decent human being should be.

When Ash had burst through the front door, Brock had been stunned by the clear panic in his appearance. Dripping wet and splattered with mud, the trainer had shoved his way past the breeder and begged Nurse Joy to heal his pokémon, heedless of the wide-eyed stares the rest of the people in the foyer was giving him. The nurse had caught the urgency in Ash's hysterical ramblings and had immediately whisked off with the sick pokémon to the emergency bay.

Nearly two hours later, the nurse had finally stepped out of the room to deliver the verdict.

"Charmander is expected to make a full recovery," the nurse said, and they all sighed in relief. "However, it was highly irresponsible of you to let you pokémon get in this condition, and–"

"It's not my fault!" Ash defended himself.

"Don't blame him for this, Nurse Joy!" Misty chimed in. "Check his profile! He didn't even _own_ a Charmander before today."

The nurse looked apologetic. "My apologies. But… do you perhaps know how it end up in such a condition?"

"He was waiting for his trainer." Ash said. He had already filled in Misty and Brock during the time spent waiting. "He released Charmander without him knowing, and left him to die on a rock in the forest!"

"And you found him, Ash." Brock put a hand on his shoulder. "Charmander's fine, all thanks to you."

Amber eyes flickered to his, and the visible anger in them abated. Brock turned back to the nurse, the circumstances putting a lid on his usual admiration. "Are there any other ailments, besides extreme exhaustion?"

Nurse Joy consulted the clipboard in her hand. "Aside from exposure to the rain, he shows signs of prolonged starvation…"

"Well, he refused the berries I gave him, so I guess he ought to be kinda hungry," Ash said.

"No, you misunderstand. I don't use 'prolonged' lightly, and certainly not in a sense of skipping a meal or two. Charmander's digestive tracks suggests that it hasn't eaten for as much as four days."

Ash stared. "Are saying Charmander might have been sitting on that rock, waiting for his trainer… for _four days_?!"

Joy's face saddened. "It appears as such. It was fortunate that you ran across him when you did."

"Yeah…" Ash mumbled, worriedly glancing at Charmander through the glass. The lizard slept peacefully on a heatproof blanket on top of the examination table, his flame propped up by his side and looked far healthier than before. "…So, what happens now?"

"Pardon?"

"With Charmander. Since his trainer obviously doesn't want him… what happens with Charmander now?"

"…He _is_ your pokémon," Joy said, as if it explained everything. "What happens is solely up to you."

The trainer shook his head. "But, I– I only caught him to get him here in time!"

"You don't want to keep him?" Nurse Joy asked. Her inflection was neutral, so it was impossible to tell if she disapproved or not.

"No! I mean…" Ash shook his head, "I've always wanted a Charmander – it was even one of the starters I was offered, but that didn't end up happening – but I caught him in a moment of weakness! I didn't _earn_ the right, and he didn't want anything to do with me and I–"

Pikachu squeaked something, which Brock almost thought sounded like a 'breathe!', and Ash's mouth shut with a click. He gathered himself somewhat and said, "I… would very much want him, Nurse Joy. But I'm not sure he would want me."

Joy eyes him for a moment. "You feel… unworthy?"

Ash shrugged. "You could say that."

Nurse Joy looked contemplative.

"Ash," Misty decided to speak up, "I think I know you well enough to understand how you feel. I get it, but… do you know for sure that Charmander would be opposed to the idea?"

Ash looked surprised. "Honestly… I didn't even think of it. He just seemed so dismissive back in the glen."

Nurse Joy glanced at the clock on the wall and made a small noise of surprise. "I'm sorry, but I believe I can't leave the counter unmanned any longer. Charmander is stable and only needs some rest, so I don't need to supervise him. If you'll excuse me."

Just as she was about to walk of, the nurse paused and turned back to Ash. "As much as I don't want to impinge on your final decision… you should know that the alternative to you taking in Charmander would be to release it, and since the species is extinct in the wild–"

Brock understood even before she said it.

"–it would most likely be unable to survive."

There was a heavy silence left in the wake of Nurse Joy leaving. Ash huffed, scuffing at the floor with his foot. "She doesn't give me much of a choice, does she?"

Brock grinned.

* * *

Charmander could not believe it. He wanted to scream, curse and rage to the heavens about the injustice of it all, but his anger offered him no consolidation. The harsh reality gave no comfort, and he was faced with nothing but the bitter truth.

Abandoned. Damian had abandoned him.

It had been confusing to wake up in his pokéball, which was familiar but at the same time different, before he had felt the call of release and had not been met by Damian's scowling face, but the gentler one of that trainer with the Pikachu.

Then they had delivered him the news.

He had wanted to deny it. Damian had not lied, he had been on his way back! Charmander was a good pokémon, and his trainer would have had no reason to leave him. He might not be the best fighter or the strongest battler, but he had never been disobedient! He was a valuable member of the team! The trainer answered by showing him his pokéball. Not his own, dented and scuffed one, but a new, shiny 'ball which was clearly new.

"This is yours," the trainer had said. "I used it to get you help in time. It's yours if you want it – you don't have too, but… at least take it as proof of what I'm telling you."

He knew a pokémon could not have more than one pokéball assigned at a time, and that realisation had made his heart stop. The world had frozen in its tracks. Damian was all he had ever known. He hatched him, had raised him, and had been the single constant in his life that Charmander had always looked to. And he had given him everything in return for that care – his adoration, his loyalty, his life. He had fully believed that meant something to Damian.

Apparently not.

Damian had been growing angry more often before in the days leading up to his release. Charmander knew he had not performed well in his latest battles, which had cost Damian the victory, but he had tried _so hard_. He had fully deserved those punishments, but he would have grown stronger from them, as Damian always said he would.

Was he nothing? A worthless nobody? A weakling?

Charmander wallowed in his despair, and the moon made notable progress on its journey over the night sky before he heard someone approach.

" _Hey… are you okay?"_

An oh-so familiar voice.

" _I don't want to talk."_

" _You didn't want too back on that rock either,"_ Pikachu stated, _"and I still got you talking."_

" _Back then, I still had something to talk about,"_ Charmander said quietly.

" _And now you don't?"_

Charmander felt his anger rising. _"Why would I tell you?"_

" _Well, as your teammate, I care for you well-being, and you could probably use some emotional support right about now._ _I may not know how it feels to be abandoned by your trainer, but Bulbasaur does, and from what he tells me it's not a pleasant experience."_

" _Well, he either doesn't care about being thrown away like trash, or he's the world's greatest master of understatement!"_ Charmander snapped, spinning around to face him. _"Just leave me be!_ And don't call me your teammate _!"_

Pikachu flinched at his outburst, but his eyes hardened. _"Then why didn't you reject the offer?"_

Charmander came to a stop. Yes, why had he not?

After the trainer had finished his explanation – had finished tearing down Charmander's entire world – he had surprised him by putting down the pokéball on the ground before him.

"It's your choice, Charmander," the trainer had told him. "You can say no to this pokéball and go your own way. I'd understand if you don't want anything to do with trainers anymore, so I wouldn't judge you. But if you want, you can keep this and come with me on my journey to become a Pokémon Master. I don't ask you because I feel pity for you, but because I think you're _awesome_."

"So, you want to come with me?"

And Charmander had not known how to respond. He had never had to make a real choice in his life. That, and coupled with his raw emotions from the earlier revelation, made him want to get away, _away_ from it all. The trainer, the pikachu, the _choice_. And he had fled into the night, where he hoped to be alone with his misery.

That was, until this insistent, annoying, _Moltres-may-he-smite-him–_

" _I don't know! Okay!"_ he blurted, and he turned back to stare at his reflection in the water. Not that he could see much past his bright, smudgy silhouette cast by his tail-flame, but he could not muster the strength to look at anything but the broken picture before him.

" _I saw you watching him today, you know."_ Charmander flinched. _"You wondered, didn't you? You wanted to know how it felt to have a trainer like the one you saw in the clearing today, one who'd rather praise than punish. I told you before, he has that kind of charm about him."_

There was a beat of silence.

"… _well, the rattata don't think so, obviously. But I've always said they're wretched creatures without taste."_

Charmander blinked, and he turned to look at the mouse. _"Why do you care?"_

Pikachu's smile faltered, and he averted his gaze. _"…Let's just say that I understand how it feels to not have your family believe in you. But I've found people to support me, and I want you to consider it as well."_

Charmander thought about it. He had been told to grow strong for as long as he could remember and show Damian why he deserved be his pokémon. But now he had been cast aside, like a nobody without anything he could bring to a team. Someone not worth the effort to train.

Damian did not believe in him.

Charmander steeled himself. Well, then he would work harder. He needed to show them – Damian, the world – why he was important, why he deserved to be part of a team. Even if it would never be his old one.

" _Fight me."_

" _What?"_

" _Fight me. Help me prove I'm no weakling."_ His eyes narrowed, and his voice lowered. _"I want to prove him wrong."_

Pikachu grinned.

" _Good thing you joined our team then,"_ he said, cheeks sparking in anticipation, _"because all of us dream about surpassing expectations."_

Charmander's response was to hurl an Ember at the him, and as Pikachu evaded it with a laugh, he could not help but grin as the elation of battle grew. They were later found by the beach by their trainer, exhausted but happy, and that was where Charmander officially accepted the offer.

He would prove them all wrong. Soon, the world would know his name, and Legends would tremble at his might.

* * *

 **End of Chapter**

* * *

 ** ***PROGENY** : stands for **P** okémon **R** esearch in **O** utstanding **G** enes and **E** rratic **N** otabilities in the **Y** oung. PROGENY is a scientific facility based in the Kanto region, credited with pioneering discoveries in the fields of pokémon egg moves and egg groups, often in collaboration with famed professors like Professor Elm and Professor Rowan. The facility recently experienced a major setback with the resignation of nine scientists in favour of a privately funded project, the nature of which was never disclosed to the public.**

* * *

 **OMAKE I – Smashing the wall (EatA Behind the Scenes)**

" _I believe in a lot of things,"_ Bulbasaur said serenely. _"Among them… the power of the plot."_

Pikachu face-faulted. _"What! No! We don't break the fourth wall!"_

" _Why not? This fic takes itself too seriously,"_ Bulbasaur huffed. _"Sure, the author may be decent, but he can get really corny at times."_

" _Only Team Rocket can do that!"_ Pikachu raged. _"It's policy!"_

" _It's comedy!"_ Bulbasaur argued. _"Isn't this what they call ironic? The fact that's it_ me _of all people that are the first one to do it."_

" _Like this one counts. I'll be surprised if this is even included – since we already ruined the atmosphere and all."_

" _Oh, and so now_ you _can do it?"_ Bulbasaur wryly accused.

" _Well, it's not like there's any quaking point to stop_ now _is there?! We've already displayed enough medium awareness as it is!"_

" _Or someone just got tired of writing about Charmander's brooding."_ Bulbasaur mused.

" _Enough about this!"_ Pikachu declared. _"Half the audience probably just skipped over this anyway…"_

* * *

 **[AN]: That was a bit weird. I won't do it again if you really didn't like it.**

 **I sincerely hope I did Charmander justice. He's not a charizard yet, but he'll be one day, and such a big character needed an origin worthy of his legacy. I thought this was a great chapter, possibly my best one yet, and I hope you thought so too!**

 **I'm kind of clueless regarding how I'm supposed to top this though...**

 **See you all next time with the conclusion of this trilogy: Chapter 8 - Torrent. Until then.**

 **[EDIT 2017/11/20]: Revised chapter.**


	9. Chapter 8 - Torrent

**Veriqi does not own Pokémon. Neither does he own a watch, apparently.**

 **Fav, Follow and Review if you think this chapter is awesome. But you're welcome to do it even if it's only okay.**

* * *

 **Chapter 8 – Torrent**

 _by Veriqi_

* * *

Once upon a time, there was a–

No, that would not do, Squirtle decided. That would be a horrible start for his biography, if he ever wrote one. Humans were apparently fond off doing that, but they were kind of self-centred most of the time. But he was digressing.

Point was, Squirtle once had a trainer. He would not be able to tell you his name, but pokémon were never as concerned about them as humans. Even human-raised ones like him got along fine without them, so how could they be that important? But his trainer had been all about it. Names and statistics, it pretty much summed up his character. Knowledge was his bread and butter, everything about raising, caring and battling pokémon – he was by all means a walking encyclopaedia. Yes, his trainer was a nerd, but Squirtle had to admit he had known what he was doing and had easily accepted him as his trainer.

Squirtle had improved rapidly under his tutelage. His trainer had ambitious plans, and it fell on his pokémon to keep up with them. He had specifically crafted lists of which pokémon he wanted on the team, what roles they were going to serve and what types would form the best range of abilities. Or broad coverage. Whatever.

Nevertheless, Squirtle had been happy, but his trainer was not, and the problem turned out to be something Squirtle could not even do anything about. According to his trainer, he did not have the right mindset for the moveset he had intended for him. Squirtle was, as his trainer put it, more 'impish' than 'modest', which did not fit with the optimal team composition. What the shell that was supposed to mean.

His trainer had then decided he did not want him, and was going to trade him away. But Squirtle did not like to be treated like a bargaining object, nor was he fine with being treated like a tool. Turtles knew how to be patient, and he did not have to wait long before a moment presented itself, and he struck. The look on his trainer's face had been hilarious to see as the separate halves of his pokéball clattered to the ground, broken like their fragile trust, and the sucker had been too shocked to stop him as he set off on his own.

Funnily, he supposed this meant that he was no abandoned pokémon per se. Maybe he should call himself a 'betrayed' pokémon, since he was a runaway who had left his trainer for justified reasons. Yeah, the others would like that. Besides, abandoned made him sound like a sissy.

After leaving his trainer, it did not take long before he had run across trainer's ex-pokémon. Ex-trainer's pokémon. Whatever. There had been a surprising amount of them too, especially of his own kind, whom he had befriended due to their similar backgrounds. And since awesomeness could not be broken, they had stuck together ever since then.

The city they then had happened upon turned out to be paradise for water-types. The numerous canals criss-crossing the place were great for getting around, and the river to the north had more than enough food to give, when poaching berries seemed like too much of a bother. Pranking the humans had then become a sort of occupation for the five turtles, and with their teamwork they always managed to keep one step ahead of the law.

Life was good, and nothing could change that.

* * *

After their most recent prank – involving the city hall, twenty minutes of setup and a _lot_ of borrowed spray paint – the group had retreated to one of the smaller canals for some well-deserved rest. The day was beautiful, and he and his squadmates fully enjoyed it as they lazed around the edges of the waterway, making pot-shots at random passersby humans for fun.

" _Heh!"_ Squirtle's second-in-command laughed. _"You've got to do better than that if you want to beat me!"_

" _Just you wait! Those berries will be mine!"_ another squirtle retorted.

Squirtle listened with half an ear. The bet had something to do with who could hit the most people in the face, although they did not seem to be keeping track at all. It was just easier to not bother.

" _I'm telling you, not even boss beats me at sharp-shooting!"_

" _Prove it!"_ the younger squirtle demanded.

" _Then watch me!"_

There was a short pause.

" _Hey, see that guy over there?"_

" _The human with the rodent?"_

" _Him, right. Two grepa on me knocking the shocker off his perch."_

" _Deal."_ His squadmates looked to him expectantly, and grinned and waved an arm.

" _Sure, go for it man."_

His second-in-command's eyes danced behind his shades, and he carefully took aim before firing a Water Gun straight at the pikachu sitting on a human boy's shoulder.

It turned out to be a questionable decision.

* * *

The focused spray of water caught Pikachu completely by surprise, and he lost his grip on Ash's jacket as he was sent tumbling and rolling down the street. He climbed to his feet, wet and irate, and his cheeks sparked.

Right, who did that?

Looking up, Pikachu found himself staring at a group of five squirtle perched on the edge of the canal. All of them were wearing sunglasses, and all of them were laughing.

" _Hahaha! That was awesome bro!"_

" _Yeah! Nice shot, right in the mug!"_

" _I know! Did you see his stupid–"_

The squirtle's words dissolved into a garbled cry as Pikachu's Thunder Shock hit him. When the attack ended, he slowly tipped over and fell into the canal with a silent 'plop'. The other squirtle stared at the ripples in puzzlement before they as one turned on Pikachu.

" _Hey!"_

" _Why'd you do that for?"_

" _What do you have to say for yourself?"_

" _You_ attacked _me!"_ Pikachu growled.

There was a splash as the squirtle Pikachu had shocked surfaced, looking slightly singed but mostly fine. He shook his head and made a face. _"T'was a joke. Don't get so pent up!"_

" _I didn't see you laugh when I did it,"_ Pikachu ground out.

Brock helped Ash to stand, and his trainer looked positively ticked as he tried to brush of the worst of the water. "Hey! What's the big idea?"

The squirtle with the most elaborate sunglasses glanced at his compatriots, seemingly amused by the fact that they had been asked to _explain_ themselves. _"Uhm, sure. Your face looked so hideous, we thought you needed a wash. But now that we can clearly see it, I think you'd been better off dirty."_

The humans as expected did not understandwhat Squirtle had said, but the roaring laughter made the nature of it clear.

"What are such a large bale of squirtle doing here?" Brock wondered aloud, scowling in half annoyance, half-intrigue. Ash pulled out his pokédex, muttering something about there being no hay around in the middle of the city.

 **Squirtle, a water-type pokémon. The shell is hard enough to withstand almost any assault, and its grooves are rounded and smooth to minimize water resistance. This makes squirtle an incredibly fast swimmer.**

"Okay, if they want a fight we're giving them one!" Ash bit out. "Pikachu, Quick Attack!"

Said mouse gladly obeyed. The much slower squirtle proved an excellent target for the speedy attack, and Pikachu knocked the singed turtle back into the water before he rounded on the rest of the water-types, whom responded with several attacks on their own.

It shortly became clear to Pikachu that one against five was very bad odds, even with his advantage as an electric-type. The squirtle kept jumping around, withdrawing into their shells when in danger and attacking him when his back was turned. He was struggling, finding himself overwhelmed with too many opponents that were far too much sync for him to be able to fight effectively.

He needed backup.

Landing next to Ash, the mouse swatted his tail against one of the trainer's pokéballs, activating the mechanism and releasing one of his teammates into the fray. _"Help me out!"_

Bulbasaur blinked as he materialized next to Pikachu, trying to take in the situation before him. He stared at the five sunglass-adorned turtles in utter bewilderment before looking back to Pikachu. _"…Huh?"_

" _I can't fight them on my own. I need your help to beat them."_

Bulbasaur still looked rather perplexed. _"But… why me? Why not someone else, like Pidgeotto?"_

" _You're a grass-type, so you're the best choice."_ Pikachu did not feel inclined to tell the hybrid that he had only hit a 'ball at random. _"Besides, I trust you."_

Bulbasaur's eyes noticeably widened, and he cautiously glanced back at the bale of squirtle who were watching their interaction. The leader in particular seemed especially interested in the new arrival.

" _Do we really have to fight?"_

" _They attacked."_

" _Surely we can reason with them…?"_ Bulbasaur tried, but it sounded half-hearted.

Pikachu eyed their adversaries dubiously. _"They don't seem the type."_

" _We're not gonna let you off easy after attacking one of ours!"_ one of the squirtle exclaimed. _"Right boss?"_

It was hard to tell what Squirtle was thinking behind those V-shaped sunglasses, but he seemed to be weighing his options. _"No, we're not."_

Every 'mon present tensed. The leader continued, _"Two take right, two take left – make 'em move and make 'em miss!"_ His smirk was possibly evil. _"I want the grass-type."_

The squirtle all cried an affirmative, springing forwards. Pikachu fired a Thunder Shock, and Bulbasaur added to it with Razor Leaf – as well as a muttered 'savages' – and then everything descended into chaos.

Battles involving two fighters were not hard to follow, but every addition makes it progressively harder to keep track of every single combatant. Pikachu quickly found himself zeroing in on his opponents, his senses completely submerged in the battle and ignorant of all else save his trainer's guiding voice, which was the only reason he was not completely taken off guard.

Despite having another, dangerous opponent to fight, the squirtle did not seem to be slowing. Pikachu was within moments engaged with two opponents who danced around his Iron Tails, drawing his fire away from their partner when Pikachu tried to counterattack. The Water Guns were fortunately not that powerful, but the constant pelting was annoying.

He finally managed to break out of their tag-teaming as one squirtle got in close for a Bite, just as he readied a Quick Attack. Ash's warning startled Pikachu, whom reflexively lashed out with his normal-type empowered tail, hitting the squirtle over the face with an improvised Double Slap, without the double. The squirtle fell over in shock, but Pikachu could not capitalize on it as a full-powered Water Gun suddenly drilled into his side.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried, seeing how he struggled against the pressure. "Tail into the ground!"

An old classic. Gaining some purchase, Pikachu directed his attention towards the squirtle and blasted him with a shock of electricity, making him break off the attack. A well-placed Iron Tail temporarily disabled his opponent, and seeing no other immediate threats, he paused to assimilate the full situation.

Bulbasaur, whom Pikachu had been separated from, was under heavy fire. Several squirtle were circling him, among them the leader himself, and Bulbasaur fought to keep them at bay using his vines and the occasional Razor Leaf. Despite this, the constant assault was forcing the hybrid backwards, putting him closer to the water.

…Wait.

Bulbasaur was too busy with his other opponents to notice as the leader lower his head. Pikachu panicked. _"Look out!"_

Squirtle shot off, giving Bulbasaur no time to dodge. Spit flew from his mouth as the brutal Skull Bash slammed into his flank, sending him flying right into the canal, where he disappeared in a great splash. The squirtle did not waste time diving after him, abandoning the battle with Pikachu in favour of the helpless Bulbasaur.

" _No!"_ Pikachu cried. He barely heard Ash's own horrified shout as he hurried to the edge, staring down into the shadowy depths in search for his teammate. But there was no sign of him, nor could the mouse spot any movement from the turtles.

They were gone.

* * *

Bulbasaur tried to keep calm as he was unexpectedly pulled under the water's surface. It was easier said than done.

He fought to keep his heartbeat under control, telling himself that freaking out would not help in the least. The hybrid knew he could not begin to compare with the squirtle in the water, but he nevertheless readied his vines – the only move he could theoretically use underwater.

He needed a broader movepool.

Just before he could lash out, a sudden realisation made him pause. The turtles were not actually trying to pull him down deeper – if anything, they seemed to be swimming along the canal, away from Ash and the others. That made no sense, as they were hauling him along as extra load, and he tried to discern for what purpose. They were not trying to win the battle anymore...

Was he their prisoner? Or rather, their hostage?

Spots danced in front of his eyes, and Bulbasaur immediately began to siphon what oxygen he could out of his bulb. It would have consequences later, as his body was not adapted to the focused form of oxygen that his bulb produced, but losing consciousness underwater would not be good. He also wanted to be ready when they resurfaced.

Finally, after what seemed like eternity, the squirtle resurfaced. Bulbasaur sharply inhaled as he was hauled on land, trying to refill his starved lungs with some precious air. The leader noticed this, and turned to one of the squirtle that had carried him.

" _Did you try to drown him? I said to keep him above water!"_ the leader exclaimed.

" _But boss, he might've been able to escape!"_ the other squirtle defended.

" _He looked like he was adapting,"_ another said. _"I mean, he was already starting to look like us!"_

The leader threw one look at Bulbasaur, then made a face of utter exasperation. _"Listen… while it is perfectly natural for_ us _to be blue in the face, it doesn't mean other pokémon should be!"_

The squirtle looked properly abashed and even muttered an apology to Bulbasaur.

" _Alright, fair mistake. Now, I have business with you, my dear landlubber."_

Bulbasaur looked up at the leader squirtle with narrowed eyes. As his breathing had eased somewhat, he hesitantly asked, _"What kind… huff… of 'business'?"_

" _I want to ask you something. I couldn't do so with the humans in the way, so we took you somewhere private."_

Bulbasaur eyed him for a moment. _"Okay then, ask away."_

" _How come you left your trainer?"_

" _Uh, if you did not see it back there, I_ do _actually have a trainer–"_

" _No, not that guy,"_ Squirtle cut him off. _"Your_ first _trainer."_

Bulbasaur blinked, then narrowed his eyes. _"What makes you think I had a previous trainer?"_

Squirtle was silent. Then, he pulled off his sunglasses.

Bulbasaur's eyes widened in shock.

" _Because I saw her take you as her starter myself_. _And now I want to know what you're doing by another trainer's side."_

* * *

"So they're called the 'Squirtle Squad'?" Misty asked.

"Collectively by the city, yes," Jenny confirmed. The police officer had arrived on the scene barely a minute after the squirtle had disappeared into the canal, a fact that clearly stung for the woman. "They're major troublemakers that have plagued us for a couple of months now."

"And they've still managed to avoid capture?" Misty asked. Her last visit had been very hasty, and so she wanted to hear more about this.

The officer heaved a suffering sigh. "They're too clever, and my men aren't equipped to deal with them. We've asked the Rangers for assistance, but they don't seem to be taking our requests seriously." The officer grumbled, "No matter how many times I tell them… just because we have a water-type Gym in our district, it doesn't mean we're all experts at dealing with water-types!"

"Don't worry, officer! Just like you have captured my heart, I'm sure you will capture them too…!" Brock professed.

"Watch it, or she might have to put you in jail," Misty said darkly.

"This is all my fault…" Ash said.

"Stop blaming yourself," Misty admonished him, inwardly heaving a sigh. Another thing to add to the pile.

"It is," he insisted. "I didn't pay attention to Bulbasaur, and because I wasn't doing my job as a trainer, he's been kidnapped!"

"Well, you…" Misty trailer off, realizing Ash in a rare moment of clairvoyance had hit the nail on the head. It was his first time battling with more than one Pokémon, and she had noticed how he in his struggle to keep up had unconsciously focused on Pikachu. That lapse in attention had left Bulbasaur on his own, long enough for the opponent to capitalise on it. Still, it was a fair mistake any rookie would have made.

"Listen Ash," Misty began, "you may not have handled that battle in the best way, but I've seen more experienced trainer than you do even worse in their first double battle–"

"It wasn't a double battle though," Ash objected, "More like a… horde battle…?"

"Point _is_ that you have legitimate reasons for that blunder. Remember, 'the first step in correcting a mistake is to admit you've made it'."

Ash looked at her, astonishment clear in his eyes. "Wow. That sounded like really great advice."

"I also thought so, when my mother told it to me!" Misty said happily.

"She sounds like a great mom then."

Misty smiled wistfully. "Yes, she definitely was…"

Officer Jenny cleared her throat awkwardly. "So, from what you've told me, it sounds like we've got a hostage situation at our hands. Problem is, we have no idea where they might be. These canals link across much of the city, not to mention the river."

Ash frowned. "You don't have any water-types that can search for them?"

"Ironically, no," the officer revealed. "We have grown a bit too dependent on the Cerulean gym for that purpose."

Misty had an inkling of what the problem here was. "My sisters aren't doing what they should be doing, right? A gym leader is supposed to aid the police if required."

Officer Jenny gave her a resigned look. "Unfortunately, some don't take their duties as seriously as you, miss Waterflower. We at the station really miss having you at the gym, y'know."

Misty gave her a small smile. "That's reassuring to know."

"My dear Jenny, if you're feeling lonely, then let me stay by our side…!"

"Molestation is also a crime, you uncivilised houndoom!"

* * *

"… _And, I haven't regretted that decision since,"_ Bulbasaur finished.

Squirtle mulled over his old friend's tale. His _best_ friend. They had been inseparable back at the breeding ranch, close as two brothers. They had always been by each other's side, and were even handed out as starters at the same time. Although that was to be the last thing they ever did together.

Still, he knew this 'mon. He was Bulbasaur. His best friend.

But was he really?

He tried to ignore it the small, doubtful voice, but without much success. Yes, the hybrid might seem familiar, but there was also a lot Squirtle did not recognize. His bearing spoke of greater power and his words carried more weight than they used to, but above all, his eyes were _sharp_. Bulbasaur had always been the more level-minded of the two, but his piercing, red eyes looked more analytical than Squirtle remembered them being. More guarded.

He was _older_ , more experienced, and with the power and wisdom to prove it.

Had they really grown apart this much?

" _So…"_ Squirtle fished for words. _"How–"_

" _How could you?!"_ one of his squadmates exclaimed. _"You were abandoned, so you should know that trainers are not to be trusted!"_

Squirtle glanced worriedly at their youngest member. He was not terribly surprised by her outburst. Her trainer had not been the kindest and had often punished his pokémon when they did not meet his expectations. She had been abandoned for her failure in learning Ice Beam, a move Squirtle himself doubted he would be able to master at his current level, and she had taken that very badly.

Bulbasaur met her anger with his own calm. _"What do you mean?"_

" _You're just like us. A trainer betrayed your trust, but then you willingly just bound yourself to the next half-life in line,"_ she ranted. _"Do you have no self-respect?"_

Bulbasaur's demeanour grew positively frosty. _"Do insult me or my skills, but do not insult my trainer."_

The youngster seemed somewhat thrown at first, but then she snorted, seemingly dismissing it. _"Trainers are a waste of time."_

For a moment, Bulbasaur looked somewhat distant. _"Maybe. But don't let it make you believe humans are."_

His second-in-command finally lost his patience. _"Enough with the talking! Now, what're we gonna do 'bout this guy?"_

" _Yeah, isn't he, like, a liability now?"_

" _Well…"_ Squirtle began. Sparkplugs. He had not hammered out the plan further than 'take, escape, interrogate'.

" _It would do 'im good to be away from that trainer for a while. Could make 'im see sense,"_ his second-in-command said. _"Even if we have to use force."_

" _I have no quarrel with you,"_ Bulbasaur said. _"I only want to go back to my trainer."_

" _Like we're gonna let you,"_ the youngster-Squirtle said, turning to their leader. _"Right boss?"_

Way to put him on the spot.

" _How about we… compromise?"_ he suggested. _"I think the best way to decide would be through a contest."_

The other squirtle were instantly hooked.

Bulbasaur narrowed his eyes. _"Do elaborate."_

" _I suggest that you prove your dedication in a battle,"_ Squirtle said carefully, _"and if you win, we'll let you go. But if not… then you'll have to do as I say."_

"… _Is that so?"_

" _Yes. You_ do _have an advantage, so it'll be all of us against you."_

" _How fair of you,"_ Bulbasaur said sardonically. Squirtle frowned. It was _not_ a good sign if Bulbasaur sounded like that.

" _You all there?"_ Squirtle's second-in-command asked.

" _Not exactly,"_ Bulbasaur said. _"I'm having to split my concentration."_

Only then did Squirtle notice the gathering energy around his bulb.

" _Back!"_ Squirtle barked. The other water-types obeyed. A bright, broad beam of searing sunlight shot out from Bulbasaur's plant – straight up into the sky, where it faded into nothing more than an afterimage on their retinas.

" _Trouble aiming?"_ Squirtle asked in the dumbfounded silence that prevailed after the impressive attack.

" _You think I'd be aiming for you,"_ Bulbasaur said wryly. _"No, I can't focus the energy proficiently or charge it in any reasonable time, and trying to knock you all out in one move would be ambitious."_ His fangs showed as he grinned. _"But it's good enough for a beacon my trainer can follow."_

Nice move. Squirtle doubted anyone short of a myopic piloswine could have missed that.

" _You aren't one to disappoint,"_ he observed, lowering his head.

" _I try,"_ Bulbasaur said, then had to dodge as Squirtle charged him with Skull Bash. His attack seemed to snap his squadmates back to the present, and all went to aid their leader with their own attacks, forcing Bulbasaur on the defensive. The squirtle kept up the pressure, but the hybrid managed through sheer tenacity to ward them off from getting close. A few of the turtles had their stinging tails to remind them of their carelessness against his Razor Leaf.

It soon became apparent that Bulbasaur was not actually trying to push back. He was defending himself, but he never tried to utilize on any openings or suddenly lash out to surprise them. It was like he was not even trying to win.

He was stalling.

" _Hey! Take us seriously, will you?"_ one squirtle cried out indignantly, also spotting it.

" _I am,"_ Bulbasaur said. _"But I have to wait for the right moment."_

" _What?"_ Squirtle's second in command sneered. _"Some random strike of serendipity?"_

Bulbasaur grinned wryly, eyes flicking to the side. _"More like a bolt from the blue."_

"Pikachu, Thunder Shock!"

Two of the squirtle were suddenly engulfed by electricity, and then Pikachu joined the battle with an entire flock of humans behind him. The yellow mouse was barely more than a streak as he zipped around the battlefield, his Quick Attack painting a zig-zag pattern as he made his way to his teammate. He slid to a stop next to the hybrid, cheeks crackling wildly in excitement.

" _Nice to see you're alright,"_ Pikachu greeted Bulbasaur cheerily.

" _More or less,"_ Bulbasaur grunted.

" _So, What's the occasion? Do we continue where we left off, or…?"_

" _Turns out that I know the leader, so we were just catching up. Well, now we're fighting over my right to stay on the team or not, depending on the victor."_

Pikachu blinked, seemingly in stunned silence. _"I leave you out of sight for_ this _long–!"_

" _That's why I waited for you."_

" _That sure I'd be up for a fight?"_

" _I'd appreciate the help."_

" _Well, I did want a rematch anyway…"_

"Right!" Their trainer joined up with his pokémon. "Let's do it right this time! Pikachu, Thunder Shock! Bulbasaur, Vine Whip!"

Both Pokémon saluted and opened fire. Squirtle rolled out of the way for the plant whip aiming to turn him into a whack-a-diglett, and responded with his own attack. The Water Gun made Bulbasaur grunt and release his Poison Powder.

" _Squad!"_ Squirtle quickly responded to the threat. _"Two on clearing the air, others back off!"_

The others instantly followed. Two turtles ran forwards to meet the purple cloud of poison, and withdrew into their shells as they used Rapid Spin, sucking away the ominous dust and directing it upwards where it would disperse in the wind. Then Pikachu crashed into one of them, knocking their shells together with Iron Tail.

Squirtle and his two other squadmates attacked, and Pikachu avoided all but one of their Water Guns. As the electric mouse was sent sprawling by the hit, Bulbasaur went to cover his teammate with a literal storm of Razor Leaves.

" _Withdraw!"_ Squirtle barked, and those that did not quite manage to get out of the way in time swiftly retreated into their shells, which the leaves pinged off harmlessly. One squirtle distracted Bulbasaur with Bubble – which was virtually no threat but annoying all the same – while the others engaged the now recovered Pikachu.

The electric mouse ducked under the Aqua Tail Squirtle's second-in-command sent his way and fired off a Thunder Shock, followed by an Iron Tail to the face of the next attacker whom attempted to Bite him. Squirtle seized the moment while Pikachu was otherwise engaged and fired a Water Gun at his back, but the metallic appendage was suddenly there to intercept it. Squirtle kept up the pressure, hoping to knock the mouse head over heels, but Pikachu's heavier tail gave him the purchase he needed to keep his balance, and Squirtle convulsed as Pikachu released a shock through the water. He recovered after a few moments, looking up in time to see Pikachu take a Brick Break to the back off his head.

That… had to hurt.

His second-in-command, the one responsible for Pikachu's new headache, grinned in victory and went in again to finish the mouse with a second Brick Break, but was instead hit full-force by Pikachu's close-quarter Discharge. He fell over, smoking and twitching, and Squirtle readied a Skull Bash to avenge his fallen comrade – until he had to abort as Pikachu's Iron Tail came swinging.

" _Bulbasaur says he knows you,"_ the mouse grunted as Squirtle redirected one of his swings with Water Gun.

" _We've met,"_ Squirtle shot back, and rolled backwards to get away from a devastating blow that left Pikachu's tail wedged in the ground.

" _Then why so insistent on making him leave the team?"_ Pikachu abandoned his Iron Tail and fired a Thunder Shock, which Squirtle pseudo-cartwheeled out of the way of.

" _We did give him a way out by winning, Sparky,"_ Squirtle bounced on his feet, jeering, _"but as it looks right now, that isn't happening."_

Pikachu's eyes narrowed, and the mouse vaulted backwards. Squirtle could not help but feel slightly envious of the mouse's acrobatic grace as he executed several somersaults before landing next to Bulbasaur, repelling several of the attackers the hybrid was struggling with at the same time.

" _We're doing good, but at this rate they'll wear us down long before we can defeat them."_

Bulbasaur hummed in thought, eyes scanning Squirtle and his squadmates. _"You're right. You'll have to do it."_

Pikachu shifted. _"But– What about you?"_

" _I can take it. They can't."_

Pikachu looked indecisive for a moment before he nodded. _"Fine. I'll put everything into this, so I need you to cover me."_

" _Always, my friend."_

Squirtle felt a pang of jealousy, but it was soon forgotten as he watched a dark aura envelop Pikachu's form, his eyes seemingly gleaming in a sinister way. While Squirtle did not know every move by eye, a vague suspicion that seemed to whisper 'Nasty Plot' made him realize this could get _very_ unpleasant, _very_ quickly.

" _Everyone, attack NOW!"_ Squirtle called, and his squadmates converged on the electric-type, preparing to take him out in one unified attack. Until Bulbasaur opened his bulb, releasing glistening green powder into the air.

" _Sleep Powder!"_ one of the turtles cried in warning, and everybody aborted their attacks to avoid the rapidly spreading dust. Meanwhile, Pikachu's cheeks were beginning to spark madly.

" _Advance! Advance!"_ someone screamed, all sense of order and structure collapsing under the panic. Squirtle's mind drew blank, desperately grasping for a solution but could not think of anything–

" _Quickly–"_

–before it was–

"– _atta–!"_

Too late.

Pikachu let his stored power loose, enveloping them all in a world of crackling electricity and combusting power. His eyes hurt from the dazzling lights, but not as much as the thousands of volts simultaneously hitting all of his nerves felt. When it finally ended, his whole body was tingling madly, and he fell onto his back as his limbs lost the battle with exhaustion. His glasses slipped off his face, and he did not have the energy to put them back on.

"– _are you okay?"_

" _Give me a moment, then I'll be."_

He tiredly managed to turn his head, if only to see how the victors were faring. Bulbasaur was heavily charred from standing next to Pikachu through the entirety of the attack, and Pikachu did not look to be in the best of conditions either. But both were standing, victorious in the face of his squad's entire might.

Would you look at that.

" _You sure?"_

" _Yes. I fear the day you'll learn Thunder, if that's what you call a Discharge."_

Pikachu huffed. _"The classification system just can't handle my awesomeness."_ Squirtle felt as if he could grow to like this 'mon.

" _If you say so,"_ Bulbasaur let it go. _"Now, let's have a look at our fellow turtle, shall we?"_

" _Sure… he seems to be the only one conscious anyway. Was he always this hardy?"_

" _Yeah, he's always been a stubborn idiot. I should know, as he's my best friend."_

Best friend. That felt good to hear. Now he did have to get heartfelt and _ask_ the guy, thank the Legends.

" _Really?"_ Pikachusaid with clear scepticism. _"He tried to evict you from the team."_

" _Squirtle can certainly back up his words when he needs to, but he's not cruel. He only wanted to pacify his friends, and would've never made me go through with it if worse came to worse. He did say I'd have to 'do as he says', which doesn't necessarily mean that he was going to tell me to leave."_

Squirtle smirked. Good old Bulbasaur, always one to pick apart his carefully crafted plans. But was that not what made them into such great partners? Their differences, like two sides of the same coin? Like yin and yang, like sea and land?

Wow, he was poetic genius.

" _Now, am I right in this? Squirtle?"_

Squirtle huffed. _"Do I look could stop you even if I wanted to?"_

" _Who knows what tricks you might have picked up since last time?"_

" _Yeah, who knows,"_ he grunted. _"So… is this where you'll try to recruit me to your merry little group of saps?"_

" _Depends,"_ Pikachu said. _"Want to tag along?"_

Squirtle actually considered it.

" _We'll see,"_ he finally allowed. _"If nothing else, I want to get back at you for being such a pain in the shell."_

They grinned.

* * *

 **End of Chapter**

* * *

 ***Bale of squirtle:** 'bale' is a term used for groups of turtles. In cases of referring to groups of pokémon, terms for the closest real life-equivalent of the species are used.

* * *

 **[AN]: Fun fact: I used the word 'squirtle' 92 times writing this chapter. Yeah, that got confusing.**

 **Also, when I wrote 'how do I top this' in the latest update, I didn't mean literally the next chapter. Some people were eager to ease my fragile ego, telling me that it's okay to have ups and downs, and I'm glad for the show of support. But I know Charmander is special, and I feel very proud of that particular chapter.**

 **Squirtle's personality wasn't as given as it was with Bulbasaur and Squirtle, and is open to a greater variety of interpretation as I see it. This version is playful, easy going and devoted to his companions, but he also got a sense of tactics. He's a quick learner, so he easily adapts to the situation and tends to pick up skills or ticks from people around him. He might seem simple-minded at first glance, but he's actually quite sharp and observant. He just tends to miss the ocean for all the waves.**

 **And yeah, I gave Cerulean City canals. Because it's not unlikely in a river city, and it fits with the clean, serene vibe I'm instilling to it. And, duh, water-gym. Although Officer Jenny might not wanna hear it.**

 **This might not be obvious in the narative, but if people are concerned about where the group are, then let me enlighten you: they travelled around Mt Moon but missed Cerulean by several miles as they ended up** **around the northern parts of Route 24, where the Hidden Village is located in this fic. They then** **travelled south to Cerulean, visited the gym and picked up the medecines Melanie had requested of them to bring her and returned to the village, where Ash captured Bulbasaur. They then went to the nearby PMC at route 25, where they encountered Charmander, and this chapter takes place as they return to Cerulean. They're right now heading for Saffron, although complications will probably arise...**

 **Until the next indeterminate time I'll update!**

 **[EDIT 2017/11/19]: Revised chapter.**


	10. Chapter 9 - Twisting Paths

**Veriqi does not own Pokémon. Thankfully or unfortunately, depending on your views of this fic.**

 **Finally back with the next chapter of Embers among the Ash! Show your support by faving, following and reviewing! With that said; enjoy!**

* * *

 **Some comments the author would like to adress:**

 **[Mateusz]: One piece of advice: In the future you should probably mention within the body of the chapter itself what Ash's goals and plans are (and thus what route the group is taking) instead of putting it in an author's note. Stories need to be able to speak for themselves, after all.**

 **[Veriqi]:** _A brilliant point and constructive criticism of the kind I like to see. I was aware of this as I put out the previous chapter, but I couldn't find any way to include it in the main story without it getting information-dumpy. The author's note was mostly done as a pacifying gesture for those who (like me) care about the geography, but I expect others to take a more casual approach to the whole thing and just let themselves be immersed by the story itself without worrying about such minor details (the show didn't, after all...). Anyway, I've included a description in this chapter, even if I'm unsure if their route is clear enough._

 _EDIT: Pardon for the previous errors in your quote. This has now been corrected._

 **[Kaleidoscope89]: Everyone seems so very accepting to join Ash's team even if they do make show of battling. It just feels easy some times.**

 **[Veriqi]:** _Which is something I've also realized while writing this story. However, everything won't hopefully stay perfect and dandy forever – this fic does focus primarily on the pokémon, so conflict are likely to arise between them. As some may have noticed, a lot of stuff happens without the humans direct influence, which is more realistic than Ash being immersed in every little thing that's going on._

 _EDIT: After revising this story, I've added some more depth to the encounters. This hopefully makes them joining seem more like a concious decision and less like a turn of fate._

* * *

 **Chapter 9 – Twisting Paths**

 _by Veriqi_

* * *

"Do you have anything more to add?"

"You tell me," Gary said, at the edge of his patience, "I've said everything I can think of as important. Be more specific."

The large, brutish officer grunted before jotting down something on his digital notepad. "Then I believe we're done here. Thank you for your time, Mr Oak."

The trainer held back on a snarky comment, quite frustrated after having to give his testimony for the third time. The policeman left, and Gary set of at a leisurely stroll along the taped border of the restricted area, which he ironically had been told he was not allowed to walk out of. Hey witness and all that.

As many times that past afternoon, Gary's eyes strayed to the crashed van down the slope. The vehicle had apparently belonged to a group of poachers suspected of raiding a Celadon District reserve, before selling the stolen pokémon on the city's infamous black market. The police had managed to intercept the exchange, but the case had devolved into a car chase through the wild traffic of downtown, where the cops lost the van carrying the stolen pokémon. It had from there avoided detection by using unregistered roads outside of the sanctioned routes, and would most likely have remained under the radar.

Then it had run across Gary on the fringes of Route 5. He had ventured of the main trail earlier in the day and captured himself an abra, one he had taken some downtime to familiarise himself with by the roadside. His pokémon had sensed the distraught pokémon in the van as it came speeding past, and had reacted violently by flinging it off the road with a redirected Psychic. It had then come to a squelchy stop in the marsh below, and it had not taken long for law enforcement to show up after Gary had called them. Unfortunately, not before the pokémon in the van had broken out and had disappeared into the wilderness.

That was three hours ago, and Gary was still thinking about the power Abra had displayed. His expectations had been low due to the psychic fox still being in its first stage of evolution, but the showing it had given was _well_ beyond promising. Gary had never heard of a wild abra with Psychic before (an inherited move perhaps?), and the trainer knew he had hit the proverbial jackpot with this one. It would become a true powerhouse in the future, if it could not be called that already.

Following up on that thought, the trainer silently mused over the prospects of his team. Was he yet at an appropriate level for the next gym? The last one had been laughably easy, but Gary had also heard of Cerulean City being something of a weak link in the current Kanto circuit, and the trainer did not want to grow overconfident. Two badges were in the end not that much of an achievement in the grand scale of things.

For all his self-assured behaviour, Gary was often plagued by indecisiveness. While thinking things through was always encouraged, there was always the possibility of thinking things through _too much_ , as Gary often found in his habit of second-guessing his every choice. Did he have the abilities necessary for this challenge? Well, everyone but him seemed to think so. Was he objective enough to make that call? Only the Legends knew, since no-one else seemed able to tell him.

Sometimes, Gary wished he could be more impulsive. If anything, it would make him more prone to act. Instead of standing back to watch as confused, disoriented Pokémon escaped the poacher's van in all directions, he would have approached them, tried to calm them down and make them wait for the rangers to arrive and start relocating them to their proper homes. Maybe he would make a mistake in doing that, but at least he would have _tried_ , would have done something. Instead, he had chosen the safe option as a bystander.

Ash would never have done that. But Ash was a nobody, without any expectations, and he could afford to make mistakes. He was probably making a lot of them right this moment as he blundered his way through Kanto – may the Legends have mercy on its residents – while trying to figure out the intricacies of being a pokémon trainer. Gary chuckled at the thought.

Sometimes it may seem strange that two people with their disparities would consider each other friends, but Gary had always liked Ash. He was sincere in a way few others were. Gary did not think Ash would get very far as a serious trainer, not if he was being realistic, but there were moments when he dared hope that the loud kid he once befriended in the schoolyard would be able to beat the expectations of his surroundings. But that was the advantage of being a stranger on the competitive stage. Any success would be considered just that, success. In contrast, a familiar name would either fail or surpass the template, and Gary was painfully aware how large a template he would always be measured against.

"Gary Oak?"

The trainer snapped out of his musings, and turned to face the speaker, a girl in a ranger uniform. "I am, and you are…?"

"The name's Solana, rank 2 Ranger," she introduced herself with a cheery wave. "On-site representative and line-of-communication for the Kanto Branch."

"I wondered if they were gonna bring the Union into this," Gary said conversationally. "Anything you'd wanted to tell me?"

"Well, thought you should know that we're closing the route borders and announcing a swarm warning, so it would be great if you were ready to leave for Saffron soon…"

"Really? Isn't that a bit extreme?" Gary said. Swarm warnings were given when large groups of pokémon were present in areas outside of their usual habitats and might affect or threaten humans in the vicinity. The warnings could wary between purely cautionary to ranger intervention, but quarantine seemed to be a bit much for the situation. Especially as it would cut off all traffic between Cerulean City and Saffron City.

"I thought so too," Solana replied. "The higher ups are convinced some of the escaped pokémon might pose a greater danger than expected, so we're raising the level to above what the situation would usually call for. Just in case."

"Good to hear," Gary said. "Then I'm glad to leave this to the professionals."

"You do that, unless you feel like searching eight hundred square kilometres of trees and bog," she said with a smirk, but Gary caught a hint of dread in her tone. "After that fiasco in Almia last year, the Union takes no chances with bordering the capture areas. No one wants a repeat of… well, that."

Gary could imagine. From what he had read about the incident, the local rangers had sorely miscalculated what speed a Magcargo horde could achieve, and that mistake had led to the village of Boyleland being put in severe danger. The rangers had scrambled to solve the crisis, and the town had in the end been saved from the slowly advancing escargatoire of potential arsonists. It was not a completely unfounded joke that all rangers were nowadays routinely sceptical about pokémon speed statistics.

"Guess I'll pass on that. Was that all?"

Solana gave him an abashed smile, looking slightly apologetic. "Actually, I was also supposed to collect your testimony. I know you've already given it several times, but the Union thought it'd be better to get it directly from the source…"

Gary sighed and started recounting.

* * *

Squirtle knew in far advance that this conversation was going to be ugly. Not that it prevented him from hoping that they _maybe_ would all accept it like rational 'mons, and that they _maybe_ would at least hear him out before they all flipped out.

"– _murky excuse for a testudine! Dirty, Groudon-loving spawn of a–!"_

Things were not going that way.

Squirtle used Withdraw, and water swept over his streamlined form as the other's Aqua Tail lost cohesion. He fired focused blasts of water from the openings in his shell to make the attacker pull away, and landing with full readiness for next blow to come. His second-in-command glared at him in defiance, growling lowly as he gathered himself from the weak yet startling Water Gun. Squirtle's other squadmates stood further back, eyes wide as they watched the altercation taking place between the two most powerful members of the squad.

" _Stop attacking and let me explain!"_

" _Let me hit you first!"_ his second-in-command roared, his arm powering up in a Brick Break as he charged. Squirtle narrowly ducked under the horizontal swipe and capitalised on his overextension as by hitting him in the cheek with an incomplete Skull Bash. The turtle's back hit the ground with a thud, and he moaned in pain.

" _Now, will you at least hear me out before you try to turn me into soup?"_ Squirtle asked, rubbing the bruising spot on his forehead. Skull Bash was a powerful move, but could if executed poorly hurt the user more than it did the target, and while proficient, Squirtle was no master yet.

His second-in-command glared weakly from his prone position but nodded.

" _Great,"_ Squirtle huffed, trying to keep his irritation in control. _"First, you guys should know I believe the cop's offer is a great one. Really. Firefighting's a respectable occupation, and I believe this team fits the role perfectly. However, that's not for me."_

The leader of the Squirtle Squad made a panning motion across the whole group of turtles in the clearing, and he made sure to include all his squadmates in the gesture. _"This team was formed out of our shared experiences. Our trainers turned their backs on us, and we didn't take that lying down. Together, out awesomeness knows no bounds!"_ Squirtle paused for dramatic effect, _"But! A team only works as long as all members are committed to it. I would only slow us all down if I accepted an offer I didn't really want to begin with."_

" _Come on! How could you say no to this job?"_ one of them asked in disbelief.

" _Yeah!"_ the one to her right agreed. _"Free food, lots of time to sleep and relax… and all that for putting out some fires every now and then! It's awesome!"_

" _That's the problem I have with it. I've always wanted more than what a comfortable life can give. I want to battle and grow, maybe even evolve, and firefighting doesn't offer that. But Bulbasaur's trainer does."_

" _What has that grass-type been telling you?"_ the youngster-Squirtle muttered. The others had different reactions, ranging from disbelieving to contemplative.

" _Bulbasaur's my oldest friend, and I've never questioned his judgement. And he didn't have to say much to convince me."_ Squirtle frowned and crossed his arms over his plastron, giving the other turtles a disapproving look. _"Come on! Don't tell me there ain't anyone of you that can relate?"_

There was a pause.

" _I do."_

All eyes turned to the second-in-command, who had managed to sit up with some effort. He grunted and massaged his jaw. _"The thrill of battle… I used to revel in it too, but my trainer sort of ruined it. He thought dumping a lot of power discs on my head and throwing me shell first into the ring would do the trick, and I was the one that got beat up for it."_ He coughed awkwardly. _"My point is, I get where you're coming from, and… I guess I can't fault you for that."_

All turtles fell silent for a long while.

" _So… this is it, huh?"_ one of them finally said, trying to put their feelings into words.

" _You're leaving us for a new crowd?"_ the youngster-squirtle added. She sounded sad, but resigned.

" _Yes,"_ Squirtle said plainly. _"But don't think I will forget you guys. It's just that if I'm here, I'm gonna be a weight for the team. I've lead you to the best of my ability, but this is where I sign off."_

He pulled of his signature sunglasses and held them out for his second-in-command to take, although the title did not apply any longer. The turtle stared at the offered specs in mute astonishment, but waved dismissively.

" _Keep 'em. For all I care, they belong to you."_

Squirtle frowned. _"I thought we decided the leader would be the one to wear–"_

" _You're the one and only leader in my eyes,"_ he grunted as he stood, correcting his own glasses as he did.

" _But–"_

" _I'm only taking this job in your absence. And if you're not keeping them, I'll stuff them so far down your throat you won't be able to Withdraw for lack of space."_

" _Sure."_ Squirtle put them back on. _"Well, if that's it…"_

"… _Then this is goodbye."_ The new leader of the Squirtle Squad shifted uncomfortably. _"There. Now, leave."_

Squirtle grinned. The other turtle detested touchy-feely stuff. Nice to know he cared.

" _Well… good luck, boss!"_

" _Go show 'em!"_

" _And remember! If this trainer thing doesn't work out, we've always got a spot open!"_

" _Yeah, I'll keep that in mind,"_ Squirtle said, grinning wildly. _"And have fun saving meowth out of trees without me, I'm sure it'll be a blast!"_

" _Squirt off will you."_

* * *

Misty seemed to be on the verge of skipping in joy as they passed the border sign of Cerulean City proper, a feeling Ash could relate to, glad at finally being on the road again. Route 9 spread out before them in all its glory – the fields and groves of the river vale that slowly transgressed into cliffs and bushes as the altitude climbed, all the way to the Rock Mountains in the distance. Its peaks rose sharply against the sky, blocked out from full view by the dark clouds that festered over them like fungus on a Paras.

"So Brock, what's the plan now?" Ash asked. As their previous travel itinerary through Route 5 to Saffron City was impossible for the time being – Ash was still not over the timing of the swarm warning – they had been forced to either wait for the closed route to open or find some other way. Ash had happily left the planning to the most competent in their group, even if Misty had grumbled about Brock's previous gaffe when he lead them too far north of Cerulean, which had forced them to backtrack through Route 24 for a couple extra days. For someone as horrible at reading maps as her, she was all-too willing to point it out when others did it wrong.

Ash did not care much. He knew he made mistakes, so he never held it against others when they did. And had they not taken that detour, they would never have stumbled upon the Hidden Village and he would never have met either Bulbasaur or Charmander and possibly Squirtle.

"We're going to Lavender Town," Brock answered, "and to get there, we'll have to get past the Rock Mountains."

"Wait, does that mean we'll have to take Rock Tunnel?" Misty asked in alarm, slowing in her happy dance. "Isn't that place dark, easy to get lost in and completely infested with hostile pokémon?"

"No and yes," Brock responded. "Yes, it's infested with pokémon – mainly geodude, cubone and most of all zubat – but no, we're not going that way. I was thinking of doing something like we did at Mount Moon and go _over_ the mountains, which should be entirely possible if we follow the lesser-used paths of Route 10."

Misty gave him a dubious look. "'Walk over the Rock Mountains' – that's your plan? Not that I'd be happier if we'd take Rock Tunnel, but at least ground- and rock-types are weak to water."

"It's still spring. Thunderstorms usually happen in the summer, so we'll be fine. Trust me, you'd rather sit in a cave and wait for the unlikely thunderstorm to settle than camp out in a cave full of zubat." He shivered. "Anything but the zubat."

Judging by Misty's painful grimace, she understood. Ash, who had yet to experience the terrors of the pokémon world's underground, did not fully understand it. All pokémon are awesome, and he also thought it was weird of Brock to say that about a species which he had recently _caught_ one of.

"Did you at least get some torches, just in case?"

"…I thought something had slipped my mind."

"You were the one in charge of inventory!" Misty exploded. "It's not like anyone else knew where we planned to go!"

"Well, we're still close to city," Brock tried to placate her. "We can go back and get it if you'd like."

"Eh, why bother? We're not gonna use them either way, and the sooner we leave the better."

Ash was still trying to figure out what people had against zubat.

* * *

The thunder echoed over the Rock Mountains. It was not uncommon in the area, as anyone knowledgeable in meteorology would expect. The mountains rose like a natural barricade against the East Wind of the Great Sea, and when humid air was forced upwards by the higher altitudes it would drop its load over the mountains in the forms of rain and – as Lavender Town could attest to – thick mist that stubbornly clung to the lower outcrops. As warmer air from further inland also happened to blow from the other direction, the clashes of warm and cool air would often result in great discharges of energy that could be seen and heard for miles around. A phenomenon more commonly known as a thunderstorm.

Still, this only held true in the later parts of summer when the temperatures allowed for it. In spring, the land was colder and thus did not provide the same hot streams like it did in the warmer seasons. The fact that it was thundering now, in spring, was the sign of only one thing…

The God of Thunder was home.

Humans of ages past revered him for his power, and even those of the modern world feared him for his power. But even gods needed rest, and this was one place of many where he could retreat those few times that his immense reserves were running low. As he now sat perched under an overhang, he lazily peered down at the human construction in the vale below. He would normally not allow such intrusions into a place he considered his, but since it was much like a temple dedicated to the power of the electric element, he had decided to allow its presence. The sounds of its labour hummed pleasantly in his ear, and he shifted into a more comfortable position, letting his senses wander–

What is this?

The presence was weak, but he be caught if that was not the signature of his adversary, one he hated with passion. While he detested his brethren that wielded the forces of ice and fire, none of them made themselves worthy of the loathing he held for this single being. The others were rivals, eternal opponents in his task of spreading rain and thunder, but this one was a challenger to his status as a God of Thunder.

That could not be allowed.

The last time he heard of the usurper, the humans which he so adored were still barely past the iron age, too long for his absence to be voluntary he believed. What had transpired in his distant home? Why had he been so quiet for the past millennia? Why did he seem that much weaker, like a fraction of his former self?

And what had made him come _here_ , where he knew he was not allowed?

As Zapdos finished the last thought, the great Titan of Lightning spread his crackling wings and took off, disappearing among the dark clouds within seconds. He had a trespasser to deal with.

He was the God of Thunder, no one else!

* * *

Pikachu was feeling uneasy.

After an entire morning of climbing the winding mountain paths, their group had stopped for lunch by a tall cliff. Pikachu had not felt up for mingling while Brock prepared the food, and had slipped away from the others to wander over to the cliff's edge, where he had plopped down to watch the stunning view of the valley below. The mountains were colder than he was used to, as there was little vegetation to keep the heat from leaving the ground. Only small, deformed trees sparsely dotted the landscape that otherwise consisted of bare and weathered rock. The sky remained as dark and imposing as it had all day, and which was not in the least helping Pikachu's anxiousness.

Pidgeotto came gliding over camp, back from stretching her wings, and she landed with a few flaps of her wings. She took in the general mood of the main group with a cursory glance before she hopped over to Pikachu with a lot less elegance than she had in the air.

" _I thought I saw a lonely, yellow spot among the rocks,"_ she said as she approached. _"It's strange to see you neither socialise or train, even when there's opportunity for both. Have you perhaps taken up brooding as a third hobby?"_

Pikachu was not in the mood for banter. _"I feel worried."_

Pidgeotto clicked her beak in a pensive sign. _"Any cause for it?"_

" _That's what I can't figure out."_ He huffed and turned back to the view. _"I can be imagining it. Maybe it's the weather – I don't know."_

Pikachu could almost picture her glancing at the clouds in the short pause that followed. _"Well, you should always trust in your instincts. Even when they might be related to the most universal sign of foreboding there is."_

It was given that a flying-type would consider dark skies ominous. She was not the only one. _"Maybe, but I'm-"_

Pikachu suddenly lost his voice as the air seemed to thicken. A heavy pressure crashed down on him, making his blood flow slower in his veins, and he noticed that Pidgeotto had similarly frozen up. Their trainer and team had gone quiet as well, and Pikachu felt dread build inside him.

Then he detected a massive electrical signature enter his range of awareness.

" _Look o–!"_

A thunderbolt crashed down from above, sending Pikachu sprawling as it slammed down next to him, and Pidgeotto flapped away in a flare of panic. The sky rumbled, and Pikachu tried to clear his head before he looked up.

A giant creature cloaked in pure lightning descended from the cloudy heavens. Its feathers were sharp and edged, jotting out from its body like pointed barbs, and colours of black and yellow were lost in the halo of crackling bolts that danced across its wings. But most striking of all were its eyes –black and endless pits of rage, they encompassed the fury of the entire storm, and burned with a hate no mortal could match.

" _Great Groudon, is that…?"_

"… _the Titan of Lightning…"_

Pikachu stared in a stupefied awe. Zapdos cawed, thunder booming, and the Legend lit up even brighter as he visibly gathered his lightning.

" _Run_!"

Pikachu threw himself to the side. Another Thunder-attack blasted the rock he had been sitting on to bits, and the shockwave sent Pikachu flying over the edge. For a heart-stopping moment, he was freefalling through the cool air, before a feathered body caught him on its back. Pikachu looked up to see Pidgeotto's crest, and then saw the growing form of Zapdos behind it.

" _Watch out!"_

Pidgeotto veered, avoiding the Thunderbolt aimed their way by a hair's width, and she swiftly cruised around the larger and less agile Zapdos. She quickly made herself scarce as the Legend released a Discharge that ended up nipping at her tailfeathers, and Pikachu barely caught sight of his trainer and team – unharmed, if panicking – before she pulled another jarring manoeuvre.

" _What is Zapdos doing here of all places?!"_ he cried in terror.

" _I think this is a Weathernest,"_ Pidgeotto said.

" _What?"_ Pikachu said in disbelief.

" _I must've been what you were feeling. Someone more attuned to the electrical forces would surely know the mark of the Titan of Lightning."_

Pikachu suddenly understood what had him on edge for most of the day. Weathernests were what pokémon called the territory of the Titans, a trio of Legends who commanded the forces of heat, cold and thunder. They were _very_ aggressive against anyone who dared enter their areas, which pokémon instinctively knew if they were about to do.

However, hat brought the question…

"… _Why is he attacking? We can't be very far into his area, we would've known for sure!"_ Pikachu exclaimed.

" _I do not claim to know the workings of the Titans' deluded minds, but this somehow seems more… personal,"_ Pidgeotto replied, her eyes narrowed in anger. _"A bully needs little reason for their actions."_

Pikachu was momentarily taken aback by the sheer anger in her voice, but was distracted as a truly ginormous Thunder passed over their heads, and Pikachu watched as the attack shattered the side of a cliff and sent large chunks crashing down the mountainside. He could never hope to match one of those, even at his best, and shuddered as he imagined the feeling of being hit by _that_.

Then he noticed that Zapdos was only firing at them, the fastest, hardest-to-hit target of the bunch. Ash and the others were fully out in the open and sitting psyducks in comparison, but the Legend did not seem to pay them any attention.

" _Pidgeotto…"_ Pikachu said slowly. _"I think Zapdos is attacking us."_

" _Your observational skills astound me, little shocker."_

" _No, attacking_ us _. He's not going after any of the others."_

Pidgeotto considered that, and with a couple of tight turnarounds seemingly tested that theory. Zapdos followed them without a thought for the other, more vulnerable targets on the mountain road, and Pikachu considered that proof enough.

" _He's definitely following us."_

Pidgeotto cursed. _"Of course he is. Know nothing else than creating trouble, their wretched kind do…"_

Pikach's mind spun at this new revelation. For some reason, Zapdos was targeting him – why, he did not know, but he doubted Pidgeotto was the guilty party – and they had no way of fighting back. The trainers were also close by, and a few of the attacks had strayed unnervingly close to the group. Charmander, Squirtle and Bulbasaur tried to launch their own attacks at the Legend every time he strayed close, but it was mostly symbolic and Pikachu feared that the Legend would at any moment decide to turn on them instead.

" _We need to retreat."_

Pidgeotto went to protest. _"We cannot, that low-life will only attack our trainer–"_

" _Sorry, rephrase; we need to leave,"_ Pikachu clarified. _"We're already putting Ash and the others in danger by proximity. We know Zapdos is following us, so if we lure him away we might at least be able protect the others."_

"No _!"_ Pidgeotto cried, unveiled _fury_ apparent in her eyes. _"I refuse to back down against that bat-kindred abuser of a Legend! The Titans are mindless vessels of destruction, blind to anything beyond their own greed and power! I say we stop fleeing – start fighting!"_

" _Do you see any way for us to get close without being fried, or do you know any special moves?"_ Pikachu snarked. Pidgeotto's silence confirmed his thoughts. _"We're completely outmatched. We can only hope to shake him among the cliffs, and we can't do that by staying in one place anyway. Brock will get the others out of here, and we'll have to find them later. You with me?"_

There was a tense moment of silence.

"… _Fine, your reason bears flight,"_ Pidgeotto said bitterly. _"Hold on tight."_

It was good advice, as Pidgeotto suddenly turned _very_ sharply. The g-force exerted on them during that manoeuvre forced Pikachu to press himself against her back as he fought to stay on. She rapidly climbed, blasts of electricity surrounding them, carrying them away from their trainer.

" _Pikachu_! _Pidgeotto_!"

Pikachu was pained by Ash's desperate cries, but he reasoned that this was for everyone's best. The trainers would be safe this way, and him they could try and lose Zapdos among the mountains. However, he was doubtful of that possibility.

The screams were soon lost on the wind and the thunder, and Pikachu lost sight of the trainers not long after.

They were alone. Alone with the Titan of Lightning, beyond the reach of any help.

The Thunders and Thunderbolts continued to rain over them as Pidgeotto twisted, climbed and dived between the cloudy tops of the Rock Mountains. Zapdos was fast but clumsy, and Pidgeotto's smaller size and greater control allowed her to take turns more sharply and to stay closer to their cover, and it all allowed her to somehow keep ahead of the Titan pf Lighting as they ducked and weaved among the precipices. Yet the constant rain of thunderbolts was strenuous for her to avoid, and it was only a matter of time before she would make a mistake.

Pidgeotto had managed to nail the turn through a crevice where their larger pursuer could not follow, and the Titan was forced to round a large rock face in an effort to keep up with them. Then, spurred on by fear and the need to go faster, Pidgeotto miscalculated.

" _Look ou–!"_

Pidgeotto cried out in pain as her wing was caught by an outcrop, and the jarring motion sent her spinning out of control. Pikachu's paws lost their grip of her feathers, and the mouse experienced an odd sensation of weightlessness before gravitation took hold.

His screams echoed over the mountains as they both tumbled down, down and down into oblivion.

* * *

 **End of Chapter**

* * *

 ***Plastron:** the ventral part of a turtle shell – the belly, or in this case the chest.

* * *

 **[AN]: Don't kill me. You won't get to know what happens next otherwise.**

 **So this chapter is a mish-mash of different storylines. So many unrelated scenes are crammed into this, so I had to come up with a clever title to bind them all together: 'Twisting Paths'. Brilliant. At least I'm not just pasting abilities as chapter titles any more.**

 **Firstly, checking in with Gary. He'll appear evey now and then, and I got an interesting idea for his development.**

 **Secondly, the Squirtle sendoff. Like the scene in Chapter 5 between Forrest and Brock, this is a scene I always felt was missing. How did Squirtle's squadmates take his decision to join Ash? Hopefully, this scene answers it. I throughly enjoyed writing it.**

 **Thirdly, the trekk through Rock Mountains, part 1. This I can say with confidence I've never seen in another fanfiction before – a serious legendary battle before the second badge (Well, there's Unova, but... Unova). This allows me to develop a plot point I've had since I first spawned the idea for this entire fic... one I'll elaborate on later.**

 **Keep up the support! Every comment is a treasure I look forward to discover, and every fav, favourite and review is fuel to the fire that powers my creative spririt. I can't thank you all enough for the support this fic has recieved. And next chapter is Chapter 10! Stay tuned!**

 **[EDIT 2017/6/30]: Fixed grammatical errors and reconstructed some problematic sentences. Asterisks in-text are from now on removed. Also adjusted cited reviewer quotes (the reviewer was in fact not drunk, the author was just being a terrible typo).**

 **[EDIT 2017/11/20]: Revised chapter.**


	11. Chapter 10 - In the Dark

**Veriqi does not own Pokémon, and neither does he get paid to promote it. He is just a fan.**

 **Next part of the Thundergod arc. And to commemorate 10 chapters, this is slightly longer than usual. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **More comments:**

 **[RamenKnight]: My personal favorite thing to help get extra perspectives while still letting people get into a perspective, every so many chapters have one thats dedicated to another perspective. It doesnt have to be straight up chronological.**

 **[Veriqi]** : _I do see the benefits of such a format. I do however prefer to paint a full picture of the situation, and swithing POV:s helps to keep ithe experience fresh. I also like to keep things in the order they happen, and I'll stick with the style I've chosen._

 **[Nozomi Higurashi]: I'm rereading and just realized you opened the chapter on a significant plot hook and immediately transferred to Charmander once that segment was over... He wouldn't happen to be the egg stolen 10 months before from Project Legacy, would he!?**

 **[Veriqi]:** _...No comment. But 10 months you say? That's actually supposed to say 15. Must've missed that in edit. It's not that important by any means, but I'm probably going to change it to fit the timeline._

 _EDIT: I now have. Just a tip: you might want to reread it_ again _to see the new, revised variant. Cheers!_

* * *

 **Chapter 10 – In the Dark**

 _by Veriqi_

* * *

"– _Pikachu, wake up…"_

His eyes slowly opened, blinking several times before he scrunched them tightly as a herd of tauros came rushing through his skull. At least it felt like it. He whimpered and curled up into a ball, wishing for the headache to abate.

As the drumming eased somewhat, he became aware of the odd feeling enveloping his body. It almost felt like a blanket, but colder and heavier, and several heartbeats passed before he identified the sticky feel to it.

 _Mud_.

To understand Pikachu's horror, one must know that electric-types as a rule _hate_ dirt in all its forms. Not because of its association with their single elemental weakness (or at least not solely), but because of its disruptive qualities. Grains tended to interfere with their electrical abilities, and since some species kept their built-up charge in their mane or fur – which they could not do if it was dirty – it was a simple matter of survival to keep their coats clean. Even pokémon that possessed other means of storage did so, as to avoid unnecessary bleed.

Pikachu, in short, had an ingrained fear of getting dirty, and that might explain his reaction. He reflexively sprung into the air to get away from the appalling substance, but still groggy as he was tripped, spun around halfway and faceplanted. Desperately trying to ignore the badly muffled chuckles of one amused pidgeotto, he tried to crawl to his feet and slipped again, getting another face-full that tasted foul in his mouth.

After a mortifying amount of time spent blindly shuffling through the mud, Pidgeotto finally took pity on him. She gently seized him by the tail and moved him to drier ground, where the mouse proceeded to sulk at the still amused bird. His only gratification was seeing that she was also covered by mud, and he reluctantly swallowed his vitriol.

" _What happened?"_

" _We crashed, yet as luck would have it, we did so in the right place."_ Pidgeotto gestured with a wing towards the steep, muddy slope where two pronounced lines left after their bodies marked their landings. _"The wet dirt cushioned our fall, and while I am not fond of filth I can for once say I'm thankful for it."_

Pikachu could not help but agree, shivering as he remembered the last few moments before losing consciousness. The complete lack of control while free-falling through the sky, tumbling towards certain doom…

He banished that thought, moving on to more pressing matters. _"And Zapdos?_

" _Gone – why, I do not know. I could hear his wingbeats, but they subsided before you awoke."_

Huh?

That did not make sense. Why would Zapdos follow them halfway across the mountains only to give up when they were downed and defenceless? Pikachu suspected the he had tracked them using Pikachu's electrical signature, so it was unlikely that the Titan had lost them even if they at the time were out of his direct line of sight.

Maybe he was unable to enter the narrow vale and was lying in wait for them? It seemed the most likely…

…except Pikachu did not sense the Titan's presence, which he surely would if Zapdos was anywhere close. Although now that he focused on it, he found that none of the ambient electricity even registered to him, a feeling which left him uneasy. He could not even sense Pidgeotto.

The bird pokémon was not an electric-type, but every living being had small amounts of electricity constantly running through them in the form of small, pulsating signals which on their own were too weak for him to detect but together created a traceable presence, if he concentrated that was. But now, he did not feel the slightest impression of the flying-type, while sitting right next to her.

Considering how much he unconsciously relied on his electrical sense, it was a nasty feeling.

Anyway, the possibilities were obvious. Either Zapdos was gone, or something was wrong with Pikachu's senses. But he felt fine, if slightly bruised, and outside of his headache, the only thing bothering him was the mud caked into his fur. The slight leeching feeling made him think of a grimer enveloping his body, and the mouse vowed to get it off as soon as possible. If he had to fight while still covered in it, he could only imagine the difficulty in using any electrical attacks, blocking his electricity as it was–

His musings crashed to a screeching halt. _"The mud…"_

" _What is it, little shocker?"_

" _It's the mud! There… there must be something in it which messes with my powers!"_ Pikachu declared triumphantly as he scooped up a small ball of it like a treasured prize, completely forgetting his earlier wariness of the stuff. _"It's blocking my senses, but it must also be masking me from the outside world! When I got covered in it from tail to ear, Zapdos couldn't sense me any longer…"_

"… _and the Titan must have believed us to have perished in the fall,"_ Pidgeotto finished, astonished. _"The Victory Star certainly shines upon us today, as few have ever earned the ire of a Legend and escaped them unharmed…"_ she grimaced, flexing a wing. _"Well, mostly."_

" _It seems so,"_ Pikachu nodded, wincing as it set of the stampede in his head again.

Pidgeotto caught it. _"Are you well?"_

" _Not great, but I'll manage."_ The headache was most likely a symptom of having his electricity restricted, so he chose to ignore it for now. _"Yourself?"_

" _I am fine physically, but I am required to remove this burdensome dirt before I can soar again,"_ she assessed, grimacing as she inspected her soiled feathers. _"I will have to wait for it to dry before preening, and… by the Great Guardian, this is going to take ages."_

Pikachu sighed. _"Then my own bath will have to wait. If this mud's what's keeping us hidden from Zapdos' notice, then it's probably for the best if I don't wash it off yet."_

" _I concur."_ Pidgeotto looked around, spreading her wings slightly. _"Now, let's find ourselves a stream – I am in sore need of some water, and food would also be desirable."_

" _Sure. Then we can figure out how we'll find Ash and the others again."_

* * *

"Why isn't the compass working?!" The female human shook her trinket with enough force to give a small pokémon a concussion.

"It's because of the magnetic force in this area," the older one replied.

"Pardon?"

"The mountains are rich with minerals like zinc, copper and iron, which essentially makes them into a giant, supercharged magnet. Scientific instruments have been known to go haywire because of it."

"Then why aren't they digging for it? I know copper's valuable for one."

"I'm not sure. Superstition or something, which I always thought was a bit ridiculous. Of course, _now_ I'm willing to admit they might've had their reasons for keeping away."

Charmander tuned out their continued discussion, deciding to focus entirely on the dark tunnel before him. His tail-flame created a small circle in which they could see, and that fact alone had earned him the leading position in the group with Squirtle, Bulbasaur and Geodude following and Butterfree flitting along above. The humans trailed behind, letting the pokémon and their sharper senses lead the way.

They had fled into the caves after Pikachu and Pidgeotto were separated from the rest of the group. Since none of them could fly, less fight a Legend, following them was out of the question, and with an aggressive thunderbird flying around it was too dangerous to stay out in the open.

While some thought it enough to stay close to the cave entrance, the older human had argued for them to continue through the underground, as they would rather brave the dark than the thunderous mountaintops. Their missing teammates would have to find them on their own.

Ash was of course not keen on that decision – as Charmander had come to learn in his short time on the team, their trainer was fiercely protective of his pokémon – and had stubbornly objected, only to be outvoted by the more pragmatic humans. Both had lacked any real conviction in their arguments, yet they had managed to get him to follow the group, albeit with great reluctance.

Charmander did not feel too eager about this either. As a fire-type, he had never experienced a true moment of darkness in his life. Even in the middle of the night, his own flame could always provide him with light, but this place was different. The shadows were impenetrable, almost tangible, and they seemed to press down on him, taunting and deceitful as they were. If anything hid even a few steps away from him, he would never know.

It creeped him out.

The humans had fallen silent, and Squirtle chose to take over for them. _"So, is this type of thing common with this team? Attacks by Legends, fleeing for our lives… that stuff?"_

Bulbasaur laughed – out of humour or hysteria, Charmander could not tell. _"I, well… not really."_

Geodude grunted, which in tone could be compared to a 'duh'. The 'mon was not the most talkative of the bunch, but his kind did generally spend their days lying about and pretending to be rocks, so…

" _An unprecedented occurrence for all of us, then."_ Squirtle surmised. Charmander was not sure what to think of the turtle and his odd sense of humour, but hopefully the newest addition would prove to be a good measure for his strength. Unlike Bulbasaur, whom he had little interest in due to the hybrid being a grass-type _and_ a pacifist. _"Glad to know the new guy isn't the only one feeling like I'm on dry land here."_

" _Don't you mean 'out of my depth'?"_

" _Water-type, buddy."_ Squirtle clicked his tongue, a disturbingly human-like action, and Charmander noticed in his peripheral vision how the turtle made a show of looking around. At least he had the sense to remove those stupid glasses earlier. _"Well, this place is gloomy alright. Hey 'dude, didn't you grow up in a cave or something? Can't you see?"_

" _Not much,"_ the living rock replied gruffly. _"Lived on the plateau before capture. M' eyes aren't accustomed."_

" _But you're part ground-type! Can't you like… sense your way or something?"_

" _Not trained."_

" _Why'd you need training?"_

" _Any difference between navigating the ocean and a pond, spouter?"_

" _Wouldn't know. So, no friendly cousins around either?"_

The other 'mon did not deign it with an answer.

" _Okay, you're not popular with the family, I get it. Heh, I'm not on good terms with my dad either…"_

The turtle trailed off, but they were only spared from his mindless chatter for a short while. _"Now that I think of it, why did the static ball of down attack us back there? Anyone carrying a comb?"_

"… _Static ball of down?"_ Charmander repeated in disbelief, glancing back over his shoulder. Butterfree looked scandalized, and even Geodude was gave the turtle an incredulous look. _"You know that's a_ God of Thunder _, right?"_

" _I'm just trying to figure out why he's got beef with us! And I know, 'puny minds of mortals' and all, but I still fail to see a reason for the heavenly intervention."_

" _Maybe he doesn't like blasphemous turtles,"_ Charmander returned snidely, _"or maybe he just hates water-types in general. Seriously, if there's anyone here that_ should _be worried that the Titan of Lightning is out for our scales, it's you."_

" _But apparently, he isn't after us. Since he chose to follow the others, y'know,"_ Squirtle said with a frown, crossing his arms. _"Which is really having me in a worry about now. That focus, that single-mindedness… it doesn't bode well for either Sparky or the avian."_

" _What do you mean by that?"_ Butterfree asked, reminding them of his being there.

" _He's saying Zapdos had some interest in them specifically, for some reason,"_ Bulbasaur carefully explained, _"and that it might be because he wants to… do more than just chase them off. You saw his power yourself. They can't fight, and if they fail to outrun him…"_

" _Th-they'll be fine!"_ the butterfly exclaimed, jumping to the absents team members' defence. _"Pikachu's there, and he's… Pikachu!"_

" _And how does that qualify him to fight a Legend?"_ Charmander asked.

Butterfree looked uncertain, awkward at receiving all the attention of the group. _"Pikachu, well, he's… brave, and smart, and… and determined!"_ He suddenly gained a few levels of confidence, and his words turned more forceful. _"Yeah! He never gives up, and neither does Pidgeotto! So, you shouldn't either! They'll get out of this – we'll get out of this!"_

Bulbasaur and Squirtle traded glances. Charmander looked away.

"… _Stop being so naïve,"_ he said, returning his attention to the road, the little he could see of it. Despite what they liked to tell you, the world was not solrock and sunflora, and problems did not magically solve themselves just because you were stubborn enough to believe they did. No one could stand against a Legend, and the lizard had learned his lesson good…

Never hope they come back.

" _Hey! That's uncool 'mon."_

" _There's nothing wrong with being hopeful…"_

A sharp, near-ultrasonic screech echoed through the darkness, followed by the return of a familiar zubat. The bat had been sent out in advance earlier, and had judging by the fretful cries found something.

" _Threat! Threat! Threat!"_ Zubat called, verging on too high a frequency for them to hear.

" _What is it?"_ Squirtle asked as the whole group came to a stop to peer up at him.

" _Clatterers! Pack! Clatterers!"_

" _What's he talking about?"_ Charmander growled in irritation. Zubat may have been the ideal scout for the situation, but the young 'mon was incoherent at the best of times.

" _Clatterers! Pack! Clatterers! Threat! Angry!"_ the bat continued to screech while flying in circles.

"…I think Zubat is trying to warn us of something." The humans were a lot slower on the uptake.

"What? Something he saw?"

" _Clatterers…"_ Geodude said with furrowed brows – which looked quite odd, Charmander thought, as he thought the living rock's default expression was a frown – and understanding flared in his eyes. _"Is he talking about-"_

He cut off, and the rest of them also fell silent as they picked up on the strange sounds reverberating through the cave. It sounded like a low tapping not unlike the drumming of dry wood on stone, which grew in power as the bare stone walls twisted the beat into a haunted orchestra. Then, just as it reached its crescendo, the tapping abruptly stopped. And in its wake, an even more terrifying silence reigned in the underground.

Charmander's eyes restlessly darted around the shadows. The fire-type felt uncharacteristically cold, and he slowly backed up against the trainers as his anticipation rose. The rest of the pokémon did the same thing, thus forming a defensive semicircle in front of the humans.

" _Look, there-!"_

Everyone turned to look where Squirtle pointed, and with some effort Charmander managed to make out movements in the darkness. It was hard to distinguish, but there was certainly _something_ hiding there, something that was slowly approaching the group.

The figures gained more substance as they edged closer, before finally stepping into the light. Reptilian and sandy in colour, they stood tall enough to possibly reach the trainers to their mid-loins. Their hateful eyes glared from behind skulls reminiscent of war masks, which together with the heavy bones they wielded made the group of pokémon look like warriors armed for battle.

Marowak, six in total. And they looked hostile.

" _Intruders! Defilers!"_ the leader marowak roared, raising her bone to point as she did. _"You who faze the Eternal Rest, prepare to embrace it yourselves!"_

" _Wait!"_ Bulbasaur barked, _"Let's be reasonable about this–!"_

" _They're beyond reason!"_ Geodude cut him off, fists clenched and arms raised in a ready stance. _"They're using Rage! Defend your trainers!"_

The pack of marowak roared and charged, bones waving in the air. Charmander hesitated for only a moment before he pushed through his fear and shot forward to engage, closely followed by his allies. Battle cries mixed, and the fighters clashed.

As he had taken point in their charge, it was only natural for Charmander to meet up with the other leader. He opened with a spin, flinging Embers from his tail-flame as he came around full-circle, claws glowing with the power of steel. The bone keeper proved quick however, as she dodged the Metal Claw with ease before swiping for the fire-type with her bone, and Charmander hastily abandoned close quarters.

"-saur, Vine Whip! Butterfree, Gust! Charmander, Ember!"

Hearing the last order was directed at him, the fire-type launched another salvo of hot cinders at the marowak, but the larger pokémon twirled her bone like a staff to snuff out the flames. Roaring again in confrontation, she then threw the still spinning weapon at him.

Charmander jumped to let the bone turned projectile pass under him, and he rushed forward to deliver several Metal Claws at the disarmed opponent. She shielded herself the best she could, and the lizard was spurred on further as she seemed more annoyed than anything.

Then the returning Bonemerang nailed him in the back of the head. Stars danced in front of his eyes, and he stumbled as the ground beneath him swayed and twisted. For a moment, his mind drew blank on who and when and what, but a hard whack against his cheek forcibly reminded him of the fight. The marowak was not being a good sport. Sent off into another tottering dance by the force of her blow, Charmander helplessly tried to tell where his opponent was attacking from, but another blow, this time to his back, made it hard for him to even stay on his feet as he struggled to stave of the dizziness.

"Charmander! Metal Claw to your left!"

He aimlessly swiped in that direction, making his attacker cry out in surprise. As his vision got clearer, he squinted to see the hulked frame of the marowak glaring at him menacingly while nursing her scratched cheek. He grinned.

A hail of shimmering bubbles shot past him, nailing the bone keeper in the stomach, and he blinked in confusion before Staryu came barrelling past, ramming into the opponent with a full-powered Double Edge. Charmander growled at having his opponent stolen, but was soon distracted as another one came rushing at him with a glowing, earth-infused bone.

" _Hey Glowtail! Get over here!"_ Squirtle's voice cried out, sounds of bone hitting shell nearly drowning out his voice. Were it not for the ferocious swings of his attacker, Charmander would have been tempted to look. _"I can't see what I'm doing!"_

" _Then stay close!"_ he shot back, giving ground as the marowak suddenly pulled a combination of Bone Rush-powered strikes that forced him to focus entirely on simply not getting hit. One swing blurred by uncomfortably close to his head, and he gulped at the power emanating against his scales.

" _Then stop jumping around! What are you, a Heliolisk?"_

Charmander winced as one of the strikes clipped his arm and backed off further, and the other trainer pokémon followed to keep within his circumference of light. The fire-type grunted in frustration, realising his movements were deciding the flow of the entire battle.

" _Stay still!"_ Squirtle called as he was suddenly by his side, forcing away the marowak with a focused blast of water. They both drew up close to each other until they were both standing back-to-back, covering for each other's blind spots.

" _They're not easy to crack, these dusters. Not even my water attacks are doing much."_

" _Fire even less,"_ Charmander grudgingly replied, knowing he lacked the advantage. _"But I'm still building up the heat."_

" _Stay strong. Just don't fall back on smokescreen – they're probably better at fighting blind than us."_

" _You think I'm an idiot?"_

" _I know, I know, just making s– look out!"_

Charmander twisted, barely catching sight of the charging marowak before Squirtle tackled him. He was thrown out of immediate range, but it unfortunately left the turtle off-balance and open against the attacker's opening swing. Squirtle landed hard, and had no time to react before the attacker bore down on him with bones, fists and whatever else he could use to hit the downed fighter with.

Charmander experienced a series of flashbacks.

"Squirtle!" their trainer cried in alarm, followed by several other exclamations from all around the battlefield.

– _please, stop! I'll do better next time, I promise–_

Charmander saw red.

" _Don't touch him!"_

Hot, brilliant flames engulfed the marowak, forcing him off Squirtle. All around them, the battle came to a halt as the cave was lit like day. Friends stared in stupefied awe, and foes shied away from the blinding light.

The marowak tried to hold his ground, but struggled against the continuous stream of potent fire. Charmander stepped forwards, keeping up the pressure as he slowly made the other pokémon back off. He finally cut off the attack with a gasp, standing protectively between Squirtle and the heavily burned marowak. Embers swirled around him as his tail-flame danced with barely supressed anger.

With the Flamethrower gone, the spell was broken and the pokémon snapped out of their stupor. The various battles all around the cave resumed as Charmander rushed to help Squirtle stand.

" _What was that?!"_ Charmander asked.

" _The attack? Stomping Tantrum. What I did… well..."_ Squirtle grimaced in pain, but it still held the hint of a grin. _"Just what any good teammate would've done."_

" _Really?"_ Charmander asked. It did not come out as flat as he intended.

" _Really. And that move would've knocked you out, so there's no need to thank me."_

It took a moment for him to understand that Squirtle was being cheeky, and he nodded in confusion.

"Wow! Great work Charmander! Now, another Flamethrower!"

A small, unfamiliar spark lit inside him, and the lizard felt inexplicably eager to comply. Taking a deep breath, he again let loose a swirling Flamethrower against the opponents, letting it sweep over their ranks and forcing them backwards to allow his allies to go on the offensive.

The battle went on, and the trainer pokémon did their best to keep up their newly gained momentum while the commands hailed over them. The pack of marowak were forced to defend rather than attack, but even with the increasing damage they did not seem to be giving up. As Charmander's latest attack devolved into breathless panting, he realised that he was wearing himself out faster than the opponent. Similarly, Squirtle's Water Gun had lessened to a trickle, Staryu's gem flashed dangerously and even Geodude looked more chipped than normal. The marowak were simply too powerful for them to defeat.

The older human had also seen it.

"Ash! We can't beat them like this! We need to approach this differently!"

"How?" their trainer replied, sounding thrown. "What can we do?"

"I don't know, but power isn't gonna cut it!"

"Power doesn't work-? Wait… power… powder… got it!" Ash declared, gesturing. "Bulbasaur, use Sleep Powder!"

Charmander's eyes flickered to the side, spotting the hybrid readying the attack, and the lizard hurried to clear the impact zone. While he could handle most smoke and fumes, he knew it did not grant him immunity to effect-inducing spores. Bulbasaur's namesake bulged grotesquely before opening, releasing an imposing cloud of glistening, green dust that bore down on the six marowak like a wave against shore. None of them even attempted to dodge, appearing perplexed if not outright clueless, and one by one, bones and bodies dropped as they succumbed to the powder.

Charmander unwillingly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Great job Bubasaur!" Ash cheered. "Awesomely done!"

Butterfree muttered something dejectedly.

"Nice touch with that attack, Ash!" the female human grinned, but it looked strained. "…And why didn't you think of that earlier?"

"Uh…"

"– _glad that's over. But great work everyone! You too Glowtail!_ "

Charmander started as Squirtle clapped him on the back, nearly making him fall flat on his face.

" _Stop calling me that."_

" _Why? You prefer something else?"_ Squirtle laughed. _"Names are names – you earn them as you go, be it as loving calls or insulting throws. One's more not gonna hurt."_

Charmander glowered at him but said nothing.

" _Shouldn't we ask why they attacked us?"_ Geodude asked, and they all blinked. He brought up a relevant point. It was unusual for wildborns to attack humans without a good cause, and trespassing was rarely enough of a reason. Only outright hostility would warrant such a response.

" _Okay, let's ask the leader here then."_ Squirtle gestured at the closest marowak, whom Charmander easily recognized from the scratches under her left eye. _"Now, anyone_ _here who knows how to wake her?"_

The question was accompanied by a meaningful look in Bulbasaur's direction, and the hybrid grimaced apologetically. _"Sorry, I usually don't have the need for it. If I have too, I wait for them to sleep it off."_

" _That's troublesome."_

Geodude slowly hovered over to the sleeping pokémon, his face betraying nothing. For several moments, he simply seemed to stare at the marowak's closed eyelids with such intensity that Charmander briefly wondered if he was trying to reverse-hypnotise her or something. Then, the living rock went with a much simpler route.

He slapped her. Hard.

The bone keeper jumped to her feet, roughly awoken by the blow, and swayed unsteadily on her feet while mumbling something incomprehensible.

" _Wake-Up Slap?"_ Squirtle sounded dumbfounded.

" _What do you think?"_ Geodude deadpanned.

" _But…"_ the turtle said, lost for words. _"You… can't learn that…"_

Geodude gave him an unimpressed stare. _"It's not hard. Hit them 'till they wake – done, Wake-Up Slap."_

Squirtle looked like he wanted to argue, but as Marowak's speech turned understandable their attention turned back to her. _"…What in the name of the Landshaker… my head… tell me, whose bone should I confiscated this time–"_

She went silent as her eyes fell on the other marowak. Her gaze snapped up to meet theirs, the intensity of her glare telling them she had reached the worst conclusion possible.

" _They're affected by Sleep Powder,"_ Bulbasaur quickly assured her. _"We didn't mean to intrude or disturb you."_

" _Speak for yourself,"_ Charmander muttered under his breath.

Marowak blinked noctowlishly. _"You're… not defilers?"_

" _We're travellers, only passing by,"_ the hybrid explained. _"We–"_

" _What do you mean by 'defilers'?"_ Charmander asked, ignoring the miffed look sent his way. Marowak glanced at him before looking back at Bulbasaur, whom she seemingly chose to consider the spokesperson of their group. Either that, or she saw him as a greater threat, and Charmander glowered at the thought.

" _The Eternal Rest has been disturbed."_ She squinted at them, hesitant about how much to say. _"At the foot of these mountains lies a place where the bones of countless souls are laid for their final peace. For generations they have slumbered, but recently, their sanctuary has been breached. And now, bones are being taken, a sacrilege of the highest kind, and one that unearthed our fury."_

" _Why'd you care about that? Don't you use bones as weapons yourself?"_ Squirtle wondered brusquely. Marowak's eyes flamed up in anger.

" _Don't spit on our beliefs! Bones are sacred! Only when given willingly, then we do wield them. All deserve respect in death, no matter their inherent honour._ _But these… defilers…"_ she clenched her fists, eyes narrowing to nothing but slits, _"they have none! They trample on hallowed grounds! Desecrate the ancient pacts! Steal bones never offered in good will!"_

They flinched from her outburst, and she visibly restrained herself. _"The Waking Moment and the Eternal Rest coexists as a balance, one our kind is aware of through the connection we share with all bones. Their vile actions echo across the land like the ripples of a lake, and even here in our distant homes do we feel it. It spurred us to action, and–"_ she cut off, cringing. _"…and it made us loose ourselves in our want for retribution. We lost sight of reason itself, and I have no words to justify our actions."_

They all traded looks. Marowak honestly looked ashamed, and Charmander thought she rightfully should. They had done goofed bad.

" _We don't hold this transgression against you,"_ Bulbasaur said. While Charmander did not exactly agree, he was all for getting out of these sun-forsaken caves, and continuing to fight would only prolong it. _"None of us were severely injured, so there's nothing to forgive."_

Marowak bowed. _"I thank you for this leniency. But still, if there's anything I can do for you… I would like to atone for this mistake, on behalf of my pack."_

Bulbasaur paused in consideration.

" _We're lost and in need of a guide. We were heading for the human settlement south of these mountains, but lost the path as well as our friends. Can you show us the way?"_

Charmander frowned. She offered 'anything', and _that_ was what he asked for? Without even consulting their trainer? Maybe Ash wanted to capture a marowak – did Bulbasaur think of that? Or was he just being a bleeding heart?

It went against everything he knew of the trainer code. It was wrong… and intriguing.

" _If a guide is what you require, then I will gladly provide. I will lead you to the warmer slopes, half a light's journey from your destination."_ She turned her head as she searched for something. _"Now, where's my bone?"_

" _Here,"_ Bulbasaur said, using his vines to bring her the heavy club. _"It must be important to you, from what you've told us of your beliefs."_

" _It is,"_ Marowak murmured, appearing much calmer after reuniting with her weapon. _"My mother has long since joined the Eternal Sleep, but it's a comfort to still have her strong arm here to protect me."_

That… was seriously disturbing.

" _Well… thank you, I'll let our trainer know,"_ Bulbasaur muttered, then turned back to the humans and barked to get their attention.

"What is it, Bulbasaur?" Ash asked. The hybrid indicated Marowak, who picked up on the charade and pointed with her club down the hall. The trainer's face brightened as he connected the dots. "Marowak is gonna show us the way? Thank you!"

After waking one of her packmates to inform him of the turn of events, the group again set of on their trek through the mountain. Marowak lead the way, with the trainers and their pokémon trailing after.

" _Sick!"_ Squirtle hissed, too low for her to overhear. _"Her own…! And how could it be that_ big _? Can they really grow to that size, or–?"_

" _Don't think about it."_ Bulbasaur sounded like he wanted to bury this matter. _"Just… don't think about it."_

* * *

Pidgeotto was not fond of reminiscing, although it was ironically something she often did. Especially when there was nothing else to occupy her thoughts, and with the previous events of the day in mind she was not too surprised to find herself thinking back on _that_ day again.

She could still recall the details as if only a day had passed, rather than the actual seasonal cycle and some more. Her flock had been migrating, travelling among the snowy mountain peaks when, out of nowhere, a storm had descended upon them, one headed by Articuno himself. The whole flock had faced their demise, and all were frozen in terror as they stared into the jaws of death.

That was when her mother had thrown herself forward, crying for the others to flee while she had engaged the Titan by herself. Pidgeotto was ashamed to admit how she, like everybody else, had obeyed without second thought. She had flown for her life as blizzards and hurricanes clashed over the mountaintops, and though the flock survived unscathed, her mother had paid the price.

Pidgeotto would be the first one to admit she never handled the loss well. The flock had struggled to pull itself together from the loss of its leader, and Pidgeotto had been needed by her newly hatched siblings who lacked a mother to teach them of the world. From there on, she had been too busy and had buried her grief in her duties. By the time her siblings had reached maturity, she had changed – the young, innocent pidgey had evolved into an experienced, jaded pidgeotto, one who had had learned a lot in a short span of time. Yet something that remained the same in her had been the resentment she still held for the Titans, and while the death of her mother had played a large part in that, it was not the single reason.

Pidgeotto had been raised to know power came with responsibility. Flying-types were often considered arrogant, and it was hard not to become high and mighty if you spent every day looking down upon the rest of the world, but for her it was ingrained to detest all kinds of bullies. And she could not stand to see anyone abuse their powers – not even gods.

That hate had blinded her, and it had made her commit the greatest mistake of her life.

" _Finished soon?"_

He had such limited patience. _"I still have to straighten them out."_

Pikachu, still covered in mud, restively tapped his foot against the ground where he sat next to the small stream they had found. _"Okay. Just checking."_

The bird returned to what she was doing, using her beak to adjust another feather in her wing. She did not blame the electric-type for his restlessness, as she was similarly worried about their trainer and their teammates. She was only better at hiding it.

As she corrected the last of her secondary coverts, Pidgeotto leaned back to inspect her perfectly arranged feathers with a critical eye. Preening was a time-consuming process most flying-types unfortunately had to deal with, and it unfortunately gave her mind the time to wander during the mind-numbing process. Her previous trip on the memory lane was too common of an occurrence.

" _Are we ready to leave now?"_

Pidgeotto stretched her wings, sighing in contentment at the lack of irritating grains. People who dared complain about dirt in their hair truly lived under skewered perceptions. _"Almost. There's one more thing to take care of first."_

" _What is it? Something I can do?"_ Pikachu asked, eager to get moving.

" _Well of course you'll get to do it – it's your turn."_

" _Eh, what…?"_

" _To get clean. I am not having your filthy hide as a passenger, not after I just spent half a day getting my feathers free from mud."_ She gave him a judging look. _"Also, it'd be best if you had all your senses for the ride… and be rid of that headache."_

"… _What makes you say that?"_ Pikachu started.

" _You seem to forget I have the Keen Eye – nothing escapes my sight. You move like you're afraid to turn your head too fast, your ears are stiff and when we found those berry bushes earlier, you instantly went for the persim."_ That particular kind of berry was infamous for its lack of flavour and was exclusively consumed for its soothing effect on the mind. Useful for curing confusion in battle, or just a nasty migraine.

Pikachu looked shifty, unwilling to admit it. Pidgeotto sighed, wondering whom he was trying to impress. _"You said yourself that your senses were muted, and I would prefer to have you at your best, both physically and mentally, in case we would be unfortunate and run into that Titan zapstain again."_

" _I– I still think–"_

Pidgeotto moved like ninjask, and Pikachu squeaked in surprise as she hauled him into the air by the scruff of his neck. While an evolved pokémon, he was still young and his smaller stature made it easy for the bird to grab him in her beak and carry him like a new-born hatchling. For some reason, Pikachu did not struggle to begin with – presumably thanks to some lasting instinct – but started to thrash violently once he realised what Pidgeotto was doing.

" _Wait… wait! Stop! Don't do it! That's not ne–!"_

Pidgeotto unceremoniously dumped him in the water. The stream was too shallow for Pikachu to go under entirely, and he his face shot up with a shuddering gasp. Pidgeotto waited patiently for Pikachu's angry sputtering to cease before she addressed him, _"There. Now that you're wet anyway, you have no excuse not to bathe."_

" _M–m–muddy pits of G–Groudon!"_ Pikachu stammered through clenched teeth. _"I–it's_ cold _!"_

" _Be a big boy about it,"_ Pidgeotto dismissed it.

Pikachu muttered something unintelligible, but stayed where he was. He looked to be slowly growing used to the temperature.

" _Good. Once you're free from all that dirt, then we'll be able to leave, and hopefully there won't be any raging thunderblights around this time."_

Pikachu's ear quirked inquisitively. _"Why do you call him that? 'Zapstain', 'thunderblight'… I get why you wouldn't be too fond of Zapdos with the lightning and all, but you seem to outright hate him. Why's that?"_

She stiffened. _"Wash up. And be sure to get it between your toes."_

Pikachu grumbled but relented, unwilling to press the matter. The bird watched him for a moment before turning away with a heavy sigh. His question was innocent, but Pidgeotto would rather not have to answer it. Not for a good while.

Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres – the Titans of Ice, Thunder and Fire – were in her mind the most deplorable of beings. They brought storms and droughts, ruined homes and families and let loose natural disasters on the world for their own petty amusement. They were bullies, and literally embodied everything that was wrong with the world.

She wanted them to pay for their crimes against the world. And she had never been one to stay on the side-lines and hope for someone else to do it.

It was that wish that had originally brought her away from her flock. Her mother had been a paragon of her species, but even she had fallen short of a Titan's power. She needed to get even stronger than her, much stronger, as strong as the queens of the heavens she had always admired in the old stories. And she had believed it to be a journey she would have to make alone.

Pidgeotto might have had her mother taken from her, but the rest of her family she had lost due to her own actions. All her life she had taken her flock for granted, and only when they were left behind did it dawn on her how much she really depended upon them. She never got as far as she did through some quest for vengeance. It was through caring for her family that she had grown stronger. And she had thrown them away like they meant nothing, when they in fact meant everything to her.

But then, it was already too late for her to go back. The flock had continued on without her, keeping on the move as they had since the beginning of time, and her chance of ever finding them again was near non-existent. She had been left behind, a forgotten bird in a corner of the region, caught and stagnated in a prison of her own design.

Pidgeotto discretely studied Pikachu as he scrubbed at a persistent splotch of dirt, and she pondered over the changes this spring had brought to her clearing in the form of a boy and his pikachu. One a big dreamer, one without dreams at all, different yet the same, and what she could garner from their eyes had intrigued her even more.

The former thirsted to prove himself by becoming greater than anyone before him – a goal without compromise, one she could liken to her own. The latter searched for his own place in life, and much like her lacked any obligations as well as bonds. Together though, she saw the potential for something beautiful, and she had felt the need to help it along on the way.

The battle that had followed had made that job full-time for her. She never regretted it though, not when it made her a part of something again and made her strength resume its steady growth.

In the moons that had followed, their travels had brought them companions of many sorts and sizes, and Pidgeotto had come to care for them as much as she did for her siblings and in a very similar manner. Because while they were bright individuals with drastically varying personalities, one common thing had alarmed her.

They were all so _young_.

Most were barely more than hatchlings, still growing into themselves and unsure of the big world and what it held. Something in Pidgeotto awoke in that moment, an aspect of her which had laid dormant for so long but had never truly disappeared as a core part of her being. The part which had raised four chicks in the place of their mother.

None of Ash's other pokémon were in any real need of a foster mother, she still thought they might need a pillar for support, and a Tailwind for their lift. Besides…

She had once told Pikachu she would be the _team_ mother.

" _Hey, I'm done!"_

" _I am glad to hear,"_ Pidgeotto replied with a smile. _"Get out of that stream then, and we can be on our way."_

" _Well, yeah, uhm…"_ Pikachu hesitated.

" _What?"_

"… _I can't get out on my own. The stones are too slippery."_

Pidgeotto chuckled lightly and went to help him. _"This isn't a good day for you, is it?"_

Pikachu said nothing in favour of shaking the water out of his fur, which ended up standing on end in all directions. Impulsively, Pidgeotto used a wing to smooth it down with a few quick sweeps, except on top of his head where she lingered before tousling the fur there even more. Pikachu looked at her a bit weirdly, but she ignored it.

" _Silly shocker. When are you gonna learn to not get in over your head?"_ she asked playfully. Pikachu glared half-heartedly, but the corner of his mouth pulled up to reveal a tiny fang in a lopsided smile.

He scratched his cheek, growing embarrassed. _"Well, now that I'm dry… are we ready to leave?"_

Pidgeotto smiled. _"I'd say we are."_

The mouse crawled onto her back, positioning himself as comfortably as he could, and Pidgeotto shifted slightly to accommodate them both. _"Be sure to stay on."_

" _Be sure to fly steady._ _But, if you_ can _manage top speed…"_

Well then. Challenge accepted.

The slight tensing of her body was the only further warning he received before she pushed off, wings moving with powerful strokes to gain height. She aimed for the opening of the crevice, and then they were off.

Now to find the rest of the family.

* * *

 **End of Chapter**

* * *

 ***Spouter, duster and shocker:** pokémon terms for water-, ground and electric-types. Depending on the way it is said and by whom, the nature of it may change. Pidgeotto's use of 'little shocker' is mostly affetionate, while Squirtle uses the term 'duster' more insultingly. They're flexible in their use.

* * *

 **[AN]: I originally intended to wrap up the whole Zapdos thing in this chapter, but it just continued to grow. The next chapter will tie up the story arc though.**

 **Readers might have noticed a slight change in the text. Species are no longer capitalised unless used as an individual's name:** **this to make the narrative clearer. It was a realisation I had when writing the previous chapters, and when I started working on the marowak I decided to just adhere to the standard rules of grammar. 'Pokémon' is similarily getting this treatment, as is other brand names.** **I will likely edit older chapters so they stylistically match the newer ones, which will probably happen with the release of Chapter 11.**

 **Now, regarding the story itself...**

 **Any parts regarding electricity and magnetism are like all the other physics featured in this story a combination of real stuff and completely made up stuff loosely based on the real stuff. Give me some credit. I do try to make it sound plausible as well as keeping somewhat in line with real life-rules as well as pokémon's own.**

 **Marowak used Foreshadowing! And some further Charmander POV! I kind of like writing him... he's a perfect blend of angst and sarcasm, some of my favourite things!**

 **Hope you liked Pidgeotto's backstory, and in turn, her motivations. As the least developed character in the original show, I've tried to give her a history befitting of the loyal and faithful bird I've portrayed here.**

 **I hope you'll still be with me when I return with the conclusion to this epic saga... whenever that might be. Until then!**

 **[EDIT 2017/11/20]: Revised chapter. Changed chapter title to 'In the Dark'.**


	12. Chapter 11 - Fury of the Thundergod

**Veriqi does not own Pokémon.**

 **Don't forget to fav and follow, and reviewing would also be nice!**

* * *

 **Announcem** **ent:** **This story has been revised!**

 _ **Don't worry, it's still the same fic you all know and love, it's just been edited. Enhanced. Anaesthetised and put under surgery. Point is, it's now a lot better than before, with less gramatical errors, weird wordings and choppy narrative!**_

 _ **I originally inteded to just tweak the earlier chapters – adjust the typography, structure my notes, correct the more egregious mistakes, etc. – but after one look at the prologue I realised I had to do something. It's the first thing new readers see, and I'd like to make a good first impression, so I sat down and practically rewrote the entire thing. And then I heavily edited the first chapter, and the second and... it kind of spiralled out of control from there.**_

 _ **What can I say. I'm a perfectionsist.**_ _ **Either way, I hereby swear to never touch upon the earier chapters again. I need to set limits, otherwise I will continue to edit my published material until the day I die.**_

 ** _The story is still very much the same as before with no changes to the plot. Some chapters have been massively edited, though, the prologue and chapter 6 in particular. You're more than welcome to rediscover this story through this new, better version._**

 ** _Thank you for your continued support._**

 _–Veriqi_

* * *

 **Some intersting comments:**

 **[Guest]: I'd say it would be worth showing off a glimpse of Ash's aura a little bit.**

 **[Veriqi]:** _I currently have no plans for it. Aura is cool and all, but heavily overused in this fandom. I also don't have any reason to introduce it to the story I'm trying to tell, so outside some glampses of it, don't expect to see any more than that._

 **[Mateusz]: I think you should try to include Ash's POV a bit more. He has a lot of growing to do that most readers are eager to see as it happens, and the less you check in with him the more difficult it will be to portray that growth naturally.**

 **[Veriqi]:** _You have a point. I like to keep a fast pacing to my stories, so I tend to only write out the scenes were anything plot-relevant happens and therefore gloss over the day-to-day life in between those parts. And when it comes to the human characters such as Ash, I rely on canon to fill in the gaps. You know them already, so I'd like to focus on the characters you might not be as familiar with._

 _But I digress. As you said in your full review, Ash is the keystone that binds the group together, and I should give him the attention that role deserves._

 **[ _Everyone_ ]: Will you include Mew in this story?**

 **[Veriqi]:** _No. Mew tends to take up all available space in any scene, so it'd be distracting from the other characters. Not to mention... legendary. Far too OP at this stage._

 _I should probably clarify my invite for pokémon suggestions: they are just that, suggestions. I decided to ask my readers what they'd like to see in this story, as an indication of what you guys would like to see. I have recieved some interesting ideas, but that's far from any guarantee they will ever be included. But keep flinging them at me_ _– who knows, some of them might stick._

* * *

 **Chapter 11 – Fury of the Thundergod**

 _by Veriqi_

* * *

 _ **Abra, sleeping deep**_

 _ **knows naught but its own dreaming**_

 _ **What a happy life**_

Oak carefully considered what he had written and, with an approving nod, decided that the poem appealed to him. While famous in the poetic circle for his talent for improvised Senryū, most of his creations came to be without a ready audience to hear them. For that very reason, the aged professor always carried a small notepad with him so he could pen down his thoughts anytime the words would come.

His current inspirational mood was due to Gary calling him earlier in the day. The boy had reached Saffron City and had taken some time out of preparing for his third badge to update his grandfather on his progress. It had been a short conversation, but Oak was nevertheless glad that Gary had bothered to phone him at all.

The professor was pulled from his versing by the familiar sound of an incoming videocall, and his face brightened in pleasant surprise when he answered. "Well hello there Aurea."

The warm smile of Professor Juniper flickered onto the screen. "Hello yourself, Professor. Glad to see you're awake."

"The time zone-difference isn't _that_ great, and I'm at my best around this time of the day. And how many times have I told you to call me Sam?"

"Ever since I was a little girl, I believe. But it would just feel weird to call someone old enough to be my grandfather by first name."

"Your father and I went to university at the same time," he protested.

"And he's retired," she said flippantly. "However, I actually called for other reasons aside from your advancing seniority. I've been studying something as a side-project for the last few weeks, and I'd like to share a theory with you."

"I'm always open for new ideas. Let me have it."

"Then let me first tell you the reason why this theory came to be," Juniper began, clearing her throat. "It is actually connected to the stone shard you and Professor Rowan investigated at the end of March."

"I see. Odd how it doesn't seem to directly correlate with pokémon origins," he teased.

"Oh shut up," Juniper laughed. "There's two kinds of researchers in this world – those that obsess over one field and those that obsess over all of them. Or how would you put it, my dear _pokémon-human-relationship expert_?"

Oak smiled innocently. While Professors like Rowan or Elm sometimes had to expand on their knowledge if it was required of their own research, others like Juniper or Oak himself genuinely immersed themselves in all possible forms of knowledge. Specialisations with fuzzy edges were just the perfect excuse to fudge on them, and any complaints against his hobbies on the side had mysteriously stopped coming after the Pokédex.

"Anyway," Juniper continued, "the weird circumstances of the whole experiment – as well as the _fascinating_ readings you sent of that pikachu – made me burst with excitement for unearthing any secrets of your mystery stone. If only you had sent more details."

Oak ignored her mock-pout. "It's not my fault Rowan got possessive. You can be glad I got you as much data as I did."

"I am, don't get me wrong. But I have certain cultural advantages he doesn't." Oak's computer pinged, and he noticed she had sent him a folder containing a collection of files and pictures over the video link. "More specifically, the description, properties and nature of the stone shard tickled my memory, and after some further research, I've connected it to a certain artefact often mentioned or alluded to in several legends of Unova."

Oak studied the first picture for a few seconds before his eyes widened. He had read enough of the Unovan mythos to identify the black, almost spherical object portrayed on the screen, and his mind was sent spinning at the implications.

"It's called the Dark Stone. It has been missing since its creation nearly a thousand years ago, though I believe it might have been found again. Or rather, a part of it."

* * *

Legendary pokémon were fabled creatures of myth. Not much were known about them, nor did everyone agree what exactly they were. Some thought they were nothing but fairy tales, while others believed them to be abnormally powerful pokémon, and some even claimed they were remnants of a primal race that once created the world. Ancient civilisations had worshipped Legends as gods, and since science was not exactly disproving such beliefs, it had not necessarily declined as a practice in the modern age.

Ash's own knowledge mostly originated in the storybooks his mother used to read for him when he was little. Those stories of brave adventurers, mysterious pokémon and strange regions far away still fuelled his imagination to this day, and especially his drive to earn his own place amongst them. Zapdos never played the heroic part in any of the stories, and Ash had yet to see anything that contradicted that characterisation.

Ash tried to suppress his bitter thoughts, but had little success. The endless, dark tunnels of the underground did not lend themselves for any interesting sights, and their group had long since lost any motivation for talk. Thinking seemed to be the only thing he could do.

His mood had been low since he had lost Pikachu and Pidgeotto, which was not in the least helped by the absent weight on his shoulder or the all-too-light pokéball at his hip (never mind the fact it was a molecular digitizer that converted its content into _weightless_ information, Ash could still feel its emptiness). Either way, the two glaring gaps in his battered but still alert team constantly reminded him of their absence.

As torturous as it was to be separated from his pokémon, it was made worse by the responsibility Ash felt for losing them in the first place. He had fled like a coward instead of facing the danger head on like a true trainer, Legend or not, and had abandoned his pokémon when they needed him. They would be right to refuse his command for failing as their trainer and trusted leader.

That last part gnawed at him the most. While Pidgeotto had never been anything but unquestioningly loyal, Ash doubted Pikachu would be as forgiving for his slights. He unwillingly recalled the mouse's standoffish, vitriolic personality from before it had mellowed into the friendly pokémon the trainer knew and loved today, and above all, remembered how reluctant the electric-type had been at originally joining Ash on his journey. Did any of that animosity still remain?

He tried to convince himself he knew his partner, and that Pikachu would never think like that. But nevertheless, their earliest memories unbiddenly surfaced of when the mouse had ignored his orders and had only met his approaches with contempt, and Ash could not help but wonder. Did Pikachu still want to go back to the wild? Would he come back if given the choice?

Lugia, he hoped so.

"Guys! I see light!"

Ash snapped out of his musings. The passage had for the past thirty minutes been ascending in a snaky, twisty fashion, never remaining straight or even for very long. They had just turned a corner, and it was giving them a full view of the blue, irregular opening in the darkness, which had elicited Misty's outburst.

The light at the end of the tunnel.

"What are we waiting for?" Ash blurted. "Let's go!"

Their weary group gained new energy at the notion of grass and open skies, and from previously dragging their feet along, their gaits turned into something short of a rush towards the exit. The tunnel grew brighter and clearer for every step and eye-wateringly so as they finally stepped out of the cave. After a moment's blindness, Ash was met by the sight of cliffs and stony ridges, and he took in the sight in wonder after so many hours in the near-impenetrable darkness. He groaned and stretched his limbs, easing under the touch of the warm spring sun.

"At last! Blessed sunlight!" Misty exclaimed. Their pokémon shared the sentiment, finally relaxing from the day's ordeals as they sank down in the slightly patchy grass. Bulbasaur croaked something to Marowak, who lingered in the shadow, and Ash was suddenly reminded of the enormous help she had provided.

"Thank you for everything, Marowak!" Ash said. "We couldn't have done it without you!"

The rest of them also offered their gratitude, which Marowak accepted with a nod. Seeing that her duty was done, she saluted them in farewell before she turned around, delving back into the world that they had left behind. In a blink, she was gone.

Ash watched her departure with some regret and wished he had thought of catching the cool ground-type when he had the chance, but realised that she probably had her own life in the dark tunnels of Rock Mountains. But he soon forgot about it as the situation caught up to him.

As Ash returned his pokémon for some well-deserved rest, Brock looked up from the map he had pulled out the second they made it outside. "I think we're some mile north of Lavender Town, judging by the surroundings. And then there's the infamous landmark of sorts.""

"What?" Ash asked.

"The mist. The town is infamously covered in it, and if you look…" Brock gestured towards the hazy area visible over one ridge in the distance.

"That's good and all, but I'm still concerned about Zapdos," Misty muttered, "and where he's still around or–"

She was interrupted by a timely rumble, one that while far away made them all tense. As one, their gazes turned towards the north, where dark, towering thunderclouds still loomed ominously over the taller peaks.

"I guess that answers the question," Brock observed.

Ash's face darkened. "Good. Then I know where I'm heading."

"What?!" Misty blurted. "We just narrowly escaped, and now you want to _go back_?"

"Obviously. Pikachu and Pidgeotto are still missing, and I'm gonna start searching where I last saw them ." He pointed towards the crackling clouds in the distance. "With him."

"Are you serious?"

"I have to," he said, eyes trained at the storm. "My pokémon's over there… I hope."

"You hope."

"Well, it's the best I have!" he shot back.

Misty winced. She studied him for a couple of seconds before she calmly facepalmed in resignation.

"This is unbelievable," she muttered. "We're the only group of people that run _towards_ a rampaging legendary."

"…'We're'?"

"Obviously," she echoed his earlier response. "I might not like what we're about to do, but it's not like it's the first time with you. I'm not dropping out now."

"That's… thank you."

"It can't be worse than the bugs," she brushed it off, sounding like it was intended as much for herself as for him.

Ash looked at Brock, who grinned crookedly. "I wouldn't be much of a breeder if I abandoned a pokémon at the first sign of danger. Count me in."

Ash grinned. "Gladly."

"I see we're really doing this." Misty breathed deeply. "Oh well… to infinity and beyond, or whatever."

No one felt like addressing her lack of enthusiasm.

* * *

Finding their missing trainer was no easy task. Pidgeotto had flown them back to where Zapdos had originally attacked the group, and Pikachu had been disheartened to discover that the trainers were gone despite the unlikely chance they had not. Their tracks led to a cave opening, where neither of them could follow – Pikachu's attacks would be as good as useless when surrounded by earth, and Pidgeotto would not be able to fly less fight in the limited space – so they were left with the one option of scouring the entire mountain range for their trainer and friends.

Quaking, creviced continents, Pikachu's life really sucked. Pidgeotto had at least been able to narrow down the prospective search area through logic, concluding that they were far more likely to find into their trainer in the south, where they had been heading before this entire debacle.

Thus, here they were.

" _See anything?"_

" _While I am aware my sight is a subject of envy, it does have its limits. For example, I cannot see through solid rock."_ Her tone was dryer than a sandshrew's back.

" _Shame there's no luxray around then."_

" _No, only a scrawny mouse with nothing better to do than to bother the one doing the steering, carrying_ and _searching."_

Pikachu flinched. Pidgeotto had apparently grown tired of his pestering. _"I can help you navigate…"_

" _I am more than able to do so myself,"_ was the curt reply.

" _Still…"_

The bird glanced back at him, and her eyes softened. _"We will find them. Just be patient, little shocker."_

Pikachu nodded half-heartedly, by this point too worn out to even pretend he was alright. Besides the harrowing tribulations still wearing on his mind, he was also worried for his trainer's well-being. It was confusing as Pikachu knew his trainer was surrounded by his friends and team, so he should be safe, right? But why was he agitated by the possibility of Ash being in danger?

Was he just worrying for worrying's sake?

As said, confusing.

" _Little shocker?"_

Said mouse jerked. _"What?"_

"… _Are you brooding?"_

" _No."_

" _Really."_

" _I'm not!"_

" _Is that denial I detect?"_

" _Are you using that eye-cheat again?"_

" _I don't need it; I can hear you do it."_

" _How does that even–? I mean– I… Argh!"_ Pikachu gave up. _"Okay, maybe. I don't know. I'm just… worried."_

Pidgeotto cocked her head. _"Worried?"_

" _Yes. For Ash."_

" _Not that I do not condone it, but it's highly irrational. Were you not the one to figure out who the thundering skyblot was hunting?"_

" _It still doesn't give me any reassurance."_

She seemed to consider how to answer, and they spent a moment just listening to the emptiness around them.

" _That's not the only thing, is it?"_ she finally said. _"Do you fear we might not find them?"_

He wilted. Only because she was the one to ask. _"Yes."_

" _If you need hope,_ _know that they are probably looking as well."_ Pidgeotto's motherly tone carried a reassuring softness to it Pikachu found himself desperately wanting to believe. _"Our trainer is not prone to give up, even when the odds speak against him. We should not either."_

Pikachu glanced up. He still feared for the possibilities, but her words did help to steady his brittle confidence. An age-old pokémon wisdom said that no move or attack could be stronger than the users force of will, and he let the knowledge guide him. Nothing could be accomplished if you lacked conviction, and Pikachu swore to be strong. For his team.

For Ash.

That was, until an all-too familiar pressure slammed down on them, accompanied by a booming thunder that heralded the end of all hope. Pikachu felt his resolve crumble, only to leave behind a growing despair he could never outrun.

" _Oh no."_

Zapdos was back.

* * *

The part of the sky still visible was gaining hints of dusk, telling them it was growing late, but Ash was not ready to call it quits yet. The intellectual part of him – which ten years of constant hammering by his mother and the professor had managed to ingrain – was telling him it was futile, that the prospective area they would have to search and the degrading light made the task hopelessly impossible. As usual, it went unheard.

"I don't think this is going anywhere," Misty said pointedly.

"We can't give up," Ash said automatically.

"Ash," Misty said, "we've done everything we can by now. It won't be long before I can't see my own hand in front of my face! Get a grip!"

"We knew going into this would be a gamble," Brock said, trying for diplomacy in counterbalance to Misty's more vociferous style. "If we alert the Ranger Union, they will be able to search a lot more effectively and thoroughly than us."

"I'm not done here," he persisted.

"Ash…" Misty looked annoyed, but she did sound concerned.

"Be reasonable man. I mean, what's the likelihood any of us will just randomly happen to cross paths with the pokémon we're looking for–"

"Hey, what's that?" Ash interrupted, squinting.

"No way," Misty said in disbelief. "Is it …?"

Beside her, Brock grumbled something about the trolling nature of universal coincidence.

"It is! _It is_!" Ash laughed. "Pikachu! Pidgeotto!"

The cream-coloured bird's head turned, and she chirruped as she spotted her waving trainer. Ash glimpsed a yellow spot on her back and felt his heart soar in relief. They were back! And they were okay!

Then he noticed Zapdos.

A cluster of Thunderbolts speared down from the stirring clouds, and Pidgeotto barely avoided them with a series of reflexive manoeuvres, and his stomach dropped as she pulled incredibly close to the last one. The attacks blasted into the ground all around, and Ash was forced to duck as one shattered a rock face close by and let loose an explosion of stone splinters.

"Zapdos! Zapdos! What are we gonna do?!" Misty panicked.

"I– I don't know! Maybe if we could distract him in some way – but I don't know how–"

Ash was not listening, transfixed as he was by the deadly dance in the sky. Pidgeotto was getting boxed in, cutting it closer with every attack, and her options were growing fewer for every time she dodged. The Titan was effectively herding her into position, and Ash could do nothing but watch it happen.

Pidgeotto had just reached the apex of a steep climb when Zapdos struck. She clearly saw it coming but could not react with her turning ability at its lowest, and instead did the next best thing by angling her body so that it would hit her from below, shielding her passenger.

Her cry was terrifyingly short.

Ash was moving before he knew it. Overwhelming panic seized him and pure emotion drived him forwards, compelling him to _runrunrun_. Gravel and dirt sprayed everywhere as he skidded down the loose hillside, not slowing down for a second despite his awkward landing. He only had eyes for one thing, unaware and uncaring of anything past the plummeting bodies of his pokémon that hit the flat ground with a heavy thud. He did not feel his throbbing ankle nor hear his screaming friends – nothing mattered but to keep running.

He reached Pidgeotto first. She lied prone in a crater of her own making, ruffled and blackened but breathing. He brushed his hand over her crest, hurriedly murmuring some words of praise as he returned, and turned to see his starter a few metres over, looking jarred but alright. Ash's face split into a broad, relieved grin, only to disappear just as fast when the trainer's eyes drew upwards.

Zapdos lowered himself over them on wings crackling with unbound power, fully exerting his pressure and commanding all lifeforms to yield before him. The Legend let the terror build in his quarry by taking it slow, knowing full well they could not escape. Ash knew it, as did Pikachu, the latter of which cowered brokenly before his impending judgement.

But not Ash.

"You leave my buddy alone!"

Pikachu looked up in shock as his trainer slid to a stop in front of him, arms spread like a defensive wall against the Legend before them. The eleven-year-old looked up at the Great Thunderer, and _roared_ , "You're not getting him! I won't let you!"

Zapdos glared. The twisted, cutting gaze stabbed into Ash, but he evenly met the hateful flints with his own burning amber. "If you want my partner, you'll have to go through me!"

For a split second, Zapdos hung still in the air as if suspended, and the Titan's eyes narrowed in fury. His outline blurred behind a brilliant corona of thundering light, and the sky split open as he released it all into a devastating Thunder.

It all happened within the space of one moment. Ash felt neither fear nor anger, his feelings blown away by the cataclysmic bolt heading right for him. He could almost see the individual sparks splitting of the main attack, surrounding it with flowing, glowing strings eclipsed by the central blade of energy. It was strangely beautiful.

Ash did not look away. Despite what might come, he faced it as he had everything else in life – head on, without regrets or worries for the risks. His pokémon had protected him, and he would protect them.

But something made him falter, something to his left that attracted his eyes. A light weight on his shoulder, a blurry spot of yellow and a small body which launched itself right into the way of the attack.

* * *

He had never been this afraid in his life.

Pikachu had felt fear before. Be it a small fright or sheer terror, he had felt it many times and knew it to be a part of life. But after being attacked and hunted by Zapdos, it had been very easy to believe the worst had passed. Nothing would ever be able to top that experience. Yet seeing Ash stand between him and a Legend screaming for his destruction somehow scared the mouse more than anything else ever had, and before he knew it, he was moving to intercept the attack.

Why was he doing this? He had never thought himself capable of laying down his life for another being, lest of all a human. Was the loyalty and respect he felt for him this powerful? Did he love him this much?

Was he worth dying for?

 _Yes_.

Countless other thoughts flashed through his head, and then Zapdos' attack made contact.

For some incomprehensible reason, Pikachu did not black out on the spot. The pain was completely encompassing, a feeling all-too reminiscent of what he had felt back in that lab the day he evolved. The very core of his being buckled under the immense force, his spirit breaking like a twig against the full storm's assault, and Pikachu was left awake to feel it happen.

Nothing could withstand that power. He was strong for his age and species, but the sheer scale of the energy washing over him dwarfed his output by more than a thousand-fold. Nothing of this world could hope to withstand it. He was gone. Swept away in the endless tide of power. Ended by the wrath of the elements.

He had lost.

…

…or?

No.

He could not give up. He _would_ not give up. He never had. _Ash_ never had. Pikachu might have lost, but _they_ , their bond as pokémon and trainer, still held strong.

Ash had in a very short span of time become something irreplaceable to the young mouse. He trusted him above all else, as did the rest of the team, most of which he himself had helped to recruit.

– _He relies on me, and I feel I can rely on him too–_

Pikachu had spoken of loyalty and trust then. Who was he not to adhere to his own claims now?

He stood by those words. He had faith in his team and trainer, and that was the single thing in life he did not question. He had not known them for long, but for him it might as well have been a lifetime since that faithful day in the lab where two destined souls had met.

From this moment on, he would not falter. He would be steadfast.

This was his virtue, his _ideal_.

Deep within him, something stirred. Something wild and powerful, eagerly begging to be wielded, and like the first time he successfully touched his own electricity, Pikachu reached out for it.

Were he not already doing so, he would have screamed as his individual cells lit up lie stars. The energy was beyond his ability to control, but through some primal knowledge or sense of purpose it regardless obeyed his will. The strange, inner energy fought with Zapdos' own, threatening to obliterate him if he were to try and meet it head on, and Pikachu was almost lost in it all before he instinctually began to create his response against it.

Pikachu had experimented with electricity all his life. He understood and could comprehend it like few others, and he knew the complex intricacies of voltage, flow and resistance, as well as the ways pokémon attacks worked around those limits. He knew that the direction of an electrical channel could be reversed, and thus he created a backfeed through the path through which Zapdos was sending his attack. Normally, this would take too much finesse and power to be possible, but power was for the moment not much of an issue.

His Lightning Rod could only absorb attacks of a strength equal or below to Pikachu's own, but his temporary energy boost had overclocked it to ridiculous levels. Zapdos' attack simply dissolved, siphoned away by Pikachu's ability and made into his own, and with his now greater positive charge, the mouse finally overpowered the current.

With a cry, he let the enormous charge go.

The tide turned. Polarity shifted, the flow inverted and the charge looped back to its original source with more than twice the power.

There was a great boom, and the world turned white.

Pikachu landed hard, world spinning around him in dizzying fashion before he could make any semblance of it all. He wheezed for breath, gulping for the parched air as tears filled his eyes.

He had never felt so _alive_.

A distant sound of a heavy body impacting rock reached him through his throbbing heartbeat, and Pikachu foggily made out the retreating shape of Zapdos as the Titan clumsily crashed against a mountainside. The legendary bird clawed at the air in desperate fashion, disappearing among stone and mist with a cry of humiliation and defeat echoing in his wake.

They were safe.

" _Ha… take_ that _, you crazy, overgrown bird-brain…"_ He heard Ash calling his name, but he lacked the strength to reply.

He blacked out.

* * *

Impossible. _Inconceivable_.

It had all been going so well. Zapdos had had the trespasser cornered, their accomplice grounded and the mortal that tried to stand in his way had just been amusing if slightly insolent. His triumph may have been tainted with annoyance over the disappearing act the other had somehow pulled on him, but it had not mattered. Why the small yellow creature held a spark of the Black Dragon's power was a puzzle, but the Titan did not care for details – the trespasser carried the touch of the pretender, and so they would perish before his might.

What had followed was the nastiest shock Zapdos had received in the latest few centuries, both figuratively and literally. He could not remember any time in his millennia of existence where he had been this dazed, including that time Articuno had punted him into an avalanche. He was, to put it simply, _utterly confused_.

Legends as a rule tended to live for a long time, and while he adored it, longevity did have its drawbacks. Time tended to blur together for one thing, and it made mortal lifespans a pain to keep in mind for another, but most of all, it weakened his adaptability. Which meant that when a small rodent came along and somehow outclassed his output by some hundred million volts, it left him reeling and unable to react properly.

Then the most basic of instincts had claimed him in his confusion and made him flee, his only concern being to get as far away from the battle as fleetingly possible. It would haunt him for eons to come, but in that moment, escape was the single concern he had. No matter the implications of him conceding victory.

By the alpha, how it stung.

In some deep part of his soul, something whispered to him. It was gently like a careful breeze, but it still left the great Titan of Lightning shivering like a scared hatchling during the darkest winter's night.

 _Who's the god now?_

* * *

"So…" Oak said slowly, hand stroking his chin as he leaned back in his chair. "Per this theory of yours, the stone shard we investigated would actually have been a piece of the Dark Stone?"

"The argument may seem thin, but I have found evidence to support my guesswork," Juniper said. "The Dark and the Light Stones were according to legend created in the aftermath of Zekrom and Reshirams's devastating battle which levelled the ancient Kingdom of the Vale. Both dragons were sealed by the King of the Vale, who sacrificed his life to ensure his people's continued survival."

"I've read the unovan mythos. There's no need to recount it for me."

"I'm giving you the crash-course version. Now, what's interesting is how legend tells that _two_ stones were created, yet as far as we know only one was retrieved. The Light Stone for a long time rested in the Dragonspiral Tower, but the Dark Stone was apparently lost."

"There's no proof validating the authenticity of the stone," Oak harrumphed. "We do know the Kingdom of the Vale existed in some sense during ancient times, but the supposed Light Stone has nothing speaking for it being anything more than a pretty piece of marble-"

"And that's where you're wrong!" Juniper declared with a triumphant smirk. Oak stumbled. "Let me enlighten you.

The supposed Light Stone was as you maybe know moved some fifty years ago to the Unovan Historical Museum in Nacrene City, but it was not until thirty years ago before a League-funded scientific group acquired the right to study it. Their discoveries make for quite the interesting read – if I may."

Juniper pulled up a report of some kind and started to read aloud, "'The object known as the 'Light Stone' was discovered to possess several remarkable properties during testing procedures. The material matched none of the known chemical elements, and the exact atomic mass was impossible to determine. Similarly, its molecular structure was unlike any other form of crystal or rock and neither of the three geologists present could identify it. The object reacted positively when exposed to extreme temperatures of up to 800 kelvin, and although further testing is required, is suspected to contain an inactive type of power source, presumably linked to the pokémon element of fire'…"

Juniper threw the wide-eyed Oak a smug look. "Limited as the science was at the time, I think you'll agree this sounds strikingly familiar to your own mystery stone. Although, yours had more of an electrical vibe to it."

"…Why, in the names of the Titans, Golems _and_ the Royal Beasts haven't I heard of this before?" Oak asked in disbelief. "Why haven't _the entire world_ heard of this?"

Juniper's smile fell. "Politics. If it was publicly confirmed the Stone really _did_ contain Reshiram as the clues indicates, ambitious trainers from all over the world would've vied to get their hands on it, all in the belief they would be the one to awaken the Legend. Thus, the Unova Pokémon League sealed the information and distributes it on a need-to-know basis."

"But…" Oak protested, and rightfully so in his mind. He was one of the top researchers in the entire world, why was he not included?

"In fact, it's possible someone who knew the truth stands to reason as of the Light Stone's disappearance, only months after the tests took place." Had it been anyone but the pleasant Aurea Juniper, Oak would have thought of her expression as a sneer. "And don't get me started on the political climate back then. The scientific race between Unova and Kanto were driving the officials to keep any 'edge' secret, otherwise it might give the other side ideas. Like theft, or sabotage."

Oak winced at the reminder of the former rivalry of their regions, which had at times bordered on outright antagonistic. He reminded himself of the changes brought on since then – a change he had contributed to – and what it meant for the younger generations that could grow up in a world built on cooperation rather than competition.

"Well, while this doesn't prove your theory, it does give it credibility. Although, it's still a riddle as to how the stone could end up on a separate continent, hundreds of miles away, in the basement of a Regional League HQ."

"This is the part where I ran into a roadblock," Juniper admitted. "History doesn't tell what happened to the Dark Stone after its creation. I tried to determine how, but a thousand years is a long time. I could guess and hypothesize all I want, but…"

"To put it simply, apart from asking Zekrom itself for a personal account, there's no possible way to know," Oak sighed, massaging his temples. As evidence suggested, the Black Dragon of Ideals was likely scattered across continents and most likely lost forever. "Now, while I'm fascinated by this prospect, it also brings me some concerns. What would this mean for Pikachu?"

"The pokémon currently playing host to what might be a sizeable part of Zekrom's immense power?" Juniper asked rhetorically. "That's a good question. I was under the impression that the stone shard had dematerialized and forcefully entered the pokémon's body, which said pokémon only survived through a timely evolution which merged its biology with the foreign object. Tell me if I'm wrong?"

Oak hesitated. "It didn't truly merge."

Juniper raised an eyebrow. "It didn't? My, you just keep making this more interesting. How did it not 'truly merge'?"

"When I used that word in my notes, I was referring to how Pikachu's body had seemingly integrated the stone shard's energy into its system – not coalesced, note the difference. From what I could tell, the shard, while technically not sentient, possesses a separate identity of sorts, one that rejected a complete merge with Pikachu's electrical network. At present, it acts more like a booster for Pikachu, enlarging his reserves and expediting the time needed to recharge. But despite the power it provides, it remains as a separate – if connected – factor within the pokémon's body."

"So… while passively assisting the pokémon's own power, the Dark Stone shard itself is mostly… dormant?" Juniper deduced.

"From what Rowan and I gathered, yes."

Both professors mulled this over.

"How has this turned out in practice?" Juniper finally asked. "I heard you gifted the pokémon in question as a starter back in April, but do you know anything of its development since then?"

"I receive occasional updates from Ash – that's Pikachu's trainer – on his journey, and the lack of any ill effects has had me believe there's immediate danger." Oak rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "However, I've had my suspicions… the fact that that the stone shard isn't directly feeding energy through Pikachu might be the only reason his abnormal biology even works. While unlikely, there's a possibility that he could access this source of electricity, which would theoretically grant him exceptional reserves and raw power if the situation calls for it. However, it also has its dangers."

"I suspected as much."

"Legendary pokémon have far more potent power than the baseline pokémon. Their bodies would simply not be able to handle the strain." The aged professor sighed. "I can only hope Pikachu doesn't dig too deep into his reserves. Otherwise, it…"

"It what?" Juniper asked when the silence stretched. Oak closed his eyes.

"…Then it might kill him."

* * *

 **End of Chapter**

* * *

 ***Senryū:** A more casual form of traditional Japanese poetry.

 ***Kelvin:** A scale used for measuring temperature, which is the standard to use within scientific circles as it starts at absolute zero. 800 K is equal to about 525 °C (or 980 °F).

* * *

 **[AN]: Hope that was as epic as I tried to make it feel.**

 **So much happened this chapter. So much editing took place. No matter; it's here, and I hope you liked it. Tell me what you think.**

 **Look at my efforts to be poetic. I wont do that again.**

 **Kanto and Unova always hit me as rival regions, and I've tried to expand on this chapter. The idea is that both regions are considered centres of science and research in-universe, and are also seen as the hearts of the Pokémon World's 'west' (Unova) as well as 'east' (Kanto), although their politics were not reflective of the real world's Cold War era. They grew to become fierce** **competitors during the stages of globalisation, almost bordering on utright hostility at times, and those relations have only become civil in later years. Still, the spritit of their rivalry still remains, which is why Unova jokingly refers to Kanto as 'the boonies'. It's a piece of worldbuilding that's not directly relevant to the story, but one I'd still like to share.**

 **The mystery of the Black Stone Shard is finally revealed! As i mentioned in my previous AN, this is a plot point that's been present since the inception of this story. I think that would explain why Pikachu is so powerful, as well as why Zekrom would be interested in attacking them down the line.**

 **Wow. I made something from Best Wishes make sense.**

 **Heads up! I will unfortunately not be able to work on this story for some time. This _does not_ mean I've abandoned the story, it just means I'm currently not activily writing on EatA. Other, real life matters have taken precedent, and so I humbl beg you farewell for now.**

 **Until next time.**


	13. Chapter 12 - Unclear Valleys

**Veriqi does not own Pokémon, though he can dream...**

 **Celebrate this new chapter by pressing fav and follow (if you have not done so already!), and review if you feel so kind!**

* * *

 **Some comments:**

 **[BrightNova169]: Is this a story where a pokémon can have more than one ability per individual? That part really confused me.**

 **[Veriqi]:** I will probably clarify how moves and abilities work sometime in the future. However, I can confirm as much at this time – yes, pokémon can possess multiple abilities, though there are certain requirements which will be elaborated on in a later chapter.

 **[Phantomsoul2015]: Getting a bit dark for a K plus rating may want o up it to T.**

 **[Veriqi]:** I have considered it, but I'm reluctant to. I'm of the opinion that K-rated material can be dark and even grim, just as long as the author keeps any mature elements out of it. Besides... it's Pokémon. I can at least try to keep it kid-friendly, right?

 **[10speed12]: I'm liking the story, but I have some questions/complaints that have arisen regarding Legendary Pokemon. In the anime canon, multiple events [...] show that there are multiple members of low to mid tier legendaries species along with some cover legends, like Reshiram and Zekrom. So the pokemons' comments on how they are refering to Zapdos as THE god of thunder is a bit inaccurate. However if this is a result of the individual member of the species megalomania combined with a lack of general knowledge, I can live with that. Keep up the good work though!**

 **[Veriqi]:** I'm happy to hear you enjoy the story! Now, I have no problems with there being multiple Legends in canon, but I'm not going by canon. I'm making this easier for both me and you, and so there's only one of every Legend except if stated otherwise in this fic. There's definitely only one Zapdos – who is in fact not a god, though try telling him that to his face – but he tends to travel around a lot, as do the other Titans. That's why you'll spot him in Sinnoh, in Kalos and many other places all over the globe. Kanto just so happens to be where he has claimed one of his Weather Nests.

* * *

 **Chapter 12 – Unclear Valleys**

 _by Veriqi_

* * *

When Meowth arrived back at the tower, the sun was already rising beyond the heavy fog, and a couple of familiar faces were just about finishing up their breakfast before the entrance.

"Mornin' guys."

Jessie and James both looked up. "What in the _world_ happened to you?" Jessie blurted.

"Lookout duty. Y'know, de usual."

"For what, a _week_?" Huh. He must have looked as exhausted as he felt.

He yawned. "I blame my biology. Usually I sleep for fourteen hours a day."

"You do look dead on your feet," James contributed. "If nothing else, you'll fit right in with the locals."

"Good. I'll just crash in a vacant grave after I report to Zager."

Jessie made a face. "And you wonder why I don't enjoy your disturbing sense of humour."

"You think I'm jokin'? Sleepin' forever sounds invitin' to me."

Jessie turned her nose away, clearly wanting nothing more to do with him. James only frowned, hands expertly shuffling the deck of cards he had pulled out of... somewhere. Meowth was really off his game if he missed that.

"Guess you won't be joining us then? I mean, if you don't feel up to it..." James trailed off.

"You're just glad I won't best you out of all your shiny bottlecaps," Meowth accused.

"You cheat," James countered.

"Standard rules are restrictive." Meowth yawned again. "Nah. Dey want me back in position at 1400, so I'll need all de rest I can get. Don't lose too badly." With that parting shot, Meowth turned on his metaphorical heels and promptly faceplanted into the doorpost.

Slowly, he peeled his abused face off, languidly stepped to the side and walked into the tower. "Night guys."

They did not _fully_ manage to hold in their laughter until he was out of earshot, but hey, at least they cared to try.

* * *

"I'm pleased to inform you that your party has made a full recovery."

Ash heaved a relieved sigh. "Even Pikachu?"

Nurse Joy nodded. "Your Pikachu was scuffed up and suffering from a severe case of electrical burnout – whatever you were doing, I strongly recommend you never attempt again – but we managed to heal the damage." She paused. "It is anxious to see you."

"I'm anxious to see _him_ ," Ash confessed.

The nurse swiftly left and returned with a tray of pokéballs as well as a fidgeting yellow mouse. Pikachu leaped at his trainer with a joyful cry, and Ash caught him and burrowed his face into his fur, repeating his name over and over again like a mantra. Pikachu sobbed against his chest, curling into the embrace like it brought him shelter from all the worst nightmares. Misty felt a bit teary-eyed herself as she regarded the tearful reunion, and quietly backed away to give them some semblance of privacy.

"I've never seen them apart for this long," she said as she joined up by Brock's side, who was also watching. "They almost seem like two parts of the same soul."

"Yeah..." Brock hummed.

Misty felt her smile slip. "It makes this all the better. Together, they weathered the st... cleared the latest hurdle and came out of it stronger than ever. Kind of inspiring, actually."

"If you say so."

She glanced at him. Brock was usually distinct in his answers, yet now he answered her with uncommitted shrugs. He was the reliable guy of the group that spoke with confidence – the kind gained through first-hand experience – yet for the latest days, his actions and words had been filled with doubt. The knowledgeable mentor did not know what to think.

It only reinforced the feeling that something was _different_.

Misty knew what had caused the change. A god had fallen upon them, hunted them and terrified them. It had torn up their safe and simple lives before disappearing from their realm once more, leaving them to pick up the pieces despite the overwhelming sense of helplessness. Their reality was irrevocably shattered, and as it was none of them knew how to go about fixing it.

Their eyes had been opened to what kind of world they lived in. One full of wonders, but also full of terrors.

"Hey guys!"

Ash came strolling over, Pikachu back on his shoulder like nothing was amiss. Though Misty and Brock were struggling with their shaken worldviews, the trainer acted like it was any other day and gave no indication of being affected by the ordeal. But Misty knew better.

"What's the doctor's verdict?" she asked him.

"All fit for fighting! Well, other than Pikachu here," he responded, patting his despondent-looking partner. "Something about letting his electrical system rest up for a while."

Misty eyed him carefully. A month ago, she would not have cared. She would have chalked up his unconcerned spirit as that of an obtuse boy without any concept of mortality. The most obvious answer did seem like it was the case, yet...

Yet Misty knew Ash, knew he had to be feeling something _._ And when she looked for it, she thought that there was something off about his speech – the way his voice hitched where it was not supposed to, the way his cheer seemed to be at least partly forced...

However, as it was she did not know what to say and so, despite her confrontational nature, withheld her suspicions.

"Sounds reasonable," Brock said as Misty mulled over her observations.

"I guess so, even though it sucks that he can't battle," Ash complained. It sounded more like a bid for normalcy than any real annoyance to Misty's ears. "I thought of going sightseeing for a bit, since Pikachu can't train anyway. What do you guys think?"

"I'm all for it," Misty said. Brock nodded, and once again she felt a stab of unease.

She desperately wanted them all to go back to normal again.

* * *

Lavender Town. Noble town of the misty vale. Ancient dwelling of the souls.

Ghost catching central.

Gary snorted.

The place was, as Gary's grandfather would have put it, 'peacefully quaint'. It sat nestled within a shallow valley – traces of a dried-out river, or perhaps a glacier from a past ice age – where not even the summer sun could banish the mist camped upon the town like a chronic affliction. The houses were built in a traditional Kantonian style, painted in royal purple and spread almost randomly upon the hillsides. Above it all rose the sacred heights whereupon sat the infamous Pokémon Tower, which by some strange luck was visible in the hazy distance from where Gary strolled down the main road.

There were many stories surrounding Lavender Town, stories which Gary long ago had dismissed as superstition, though he was beginning to understand why people would believe them. Even without taking all the facts into account (origin of four out of five paranormal reports in the region; abnormal, even contradictory readings on scientific equipment; multiple unusual, unexplainable phenomenon with dozens of witnesses), the place had a natural creepiness factor that made you inclined to jump at shadows.

Not to mention the ghosts.

Gary would ask himself what in the world he was doing here, had he just not provided the answer. Lavender Town was a hotspot for ghost-type pokémon and the only place in Kanto where one could reliably catch them. It had been suggested by a senior trainer that he should go and get one after Sabrina had wiped the floor with him, so he decided to make the trip in the hopes of contracting some health from the other side. Or something.

If it only was a bit warmer.

"Hey, Gary!"

Gary recognised that voice. "Ash?" he muttered in surprise, head turning to locate the speaker. "Where did... huh. Hello, Ashy-boy. Long time no see."

Said trainer came jogging towards him, arm waving excitedly. He looked just as he had back in Pallet Town when Gary had seen him last, though the pikachu clinging to his shoulder was new. "Yeah! It's been like forever!"

"Didn't expect to see you here of all places. I thought you hated ghosts?" Human ones, that was. Ash did not have it in him to ever dislike any type of pokémon.

"Yeah..." Ash said nervously, visibly shuddering. "Well, the way to Saffron was blocked so we had to go another way and this was the only other one we could use–"

We?

"–but anyway, Brock planned it all out, so we're only staying here for a day or so–"

"Brock?" Gary wondered out loud, though Ash did not seem to hear.

"–before we'll be leaving for Vermillion. They say there's a Gym there too, so going there first before Saffron seemed like a good idea from where we are."

Gary blinked, feeling somewhat lost. He was about to ask for an elaboration, when...

" _Ash Ketchum!_ "

Ash jerked in surprise, and his smile gained a sense of impending doom as they both turned to look. A redheaded if somewhat plain girl was heading straight for them, closely followed by a familiar guy with a serious squint. Familiar, as Gary had fought him for his first badge. Why was the Pewter City Gym Leader here?

"–could at least have the decency to let us look around properly before you run off to somewhere else!" Gary caught the end of the redhead's tirade, and he found himself the subject of her (admittedly pretty) sea-coloured eyes. "Who's this?"

"An old friend!" Ash exclaimed, hooking an arm around Gary's shoulders. "We just ran into each other, and we were busy catching up!"

Since Ash seemed to forego any further introduction, Gary decided to fill them in. "Hello, I'm Gary – childhood friend and occasional voice of reason for this knucklehead here." He gestured at Ash, who pouted at him.

"I'm Misty." The girl studied him with a wary look.

"We've met," The Gym Leader said, "though if you don't remember the name's Brock."

"I see." Gary offered a smile in return and turned back to his fellow Pallet native. "Now Ash... feel like telling me – slower and more methodically, this time – what you and your company are doing in Lavender of all places?"

* * *

Catching up with Gary turned out to be a wild ride.

He had been up to a lot since they had parted ways. Not only did he already have two badges ("The third one's on the way") and a full team ("That's six, if you can count that far"), but he had also apparently been involved in stopping a smuggler's van of kidnapped pokémon, which Ash had demanded he apologise for as it turned out to be the reason for the closing of Route 5 ("It wasn't my fault that happened!").

Ash did not try to one-up Gary and made no mention of Zapdos at all. Ash was good at talking, had a tendency to run his mouth even, but this was something he hesitated to address even with the people who had been there. The strange mood that had enveloped their group for the last days remained, and Ash kept quiet just as Misty and Brock had.

Instead, he let Gary have the floor. His stopping pokémon traffickers was awesome, and Ash was sincere in his oohing and awing, but he also felt bothered by the reinforced status quo. As usual, Gary was the one people had the time for, and Ash was the nobody without anything worthwhile to say.

Then a comment about the strength of Gary's pokémon got Ash to interrupt, and one thing lead to another before he challenged his friend to a battle. Ash was itching to test his skill against a worthy opponent, and he knew Gary well enough to recognise the same feeling in his friend. They had competed for as long as they had known each other, and that urge had only grown stronger with the new playing field of pokémon battles introduced to the mix.

Besides, Ash had promised back in the Professor's lab.

As a remote mountain settlement with limited appeal for any trainers, Lavender Town lacked any dedicated battlefields. Still, they managed to find an open space around the corner of the PMC, tucked between the building and a hot dog stand whose owner did not mind if they had their battle there.

"It's no problem, if you'd consider buying lunch afterwards," he said with an inviting smile, or what passed for one in Lavender Town.

"Works for me!" Ash declared. "Loser pays?"

"Sure, why not?" Gary said distractedly as he studied the field. He hummed. "It's a bit on the small side, but it'll do."

He turned to Ash. "So, how do you want to do this?"

"...I don't know," Ash admitted.

"Didn't get that far?" The other trainer's tone was amused. "How about a two-on-two with no substitutions?"

"So... a fight until you can't anymore?"

"That's the basis of almost every pokémon battle, but sure. No switching out."

"I know! I said that!"

"Just making sure we're on the same page," Gary placated. "Then we're set on the rules?"

Ash nodded. Brock agreed to serve as their referee, and everyone turned away to make their preparations. Ash walked over to a street table by the battlefield sideline and dropped off Pikachu on it, to the mouse's insistent protests.

"Sorry buddy," Ash tried to soothe him, "but you heard what Nurse Joy said. No battling for now."

Pikachu huffed, but did not object any further. Ash apologised by scratching him between the ears, and his starter's features eased as he leaned into the touch.

Ash could not remember Pikachu being so affectionate before Zapdos. They had liked and trusted one another, but there had still been some sort of unbreachable zone between them which none felt like overstepping. But when Zapdos had fallen upon them, when Ash had jumped between a god and its prey to save his partner, his action had erased any lockage there still remained between them. He had reached out, and Pikachu had grabbed on by repaying him in kind.

They would forever bear the mark the trial had left them with. The parts of their souls they had willingly given for the other to live, which they now carried like traded rings.

They could never regret that bond.

With a pat on the mouse's head, Ash left to take his place in the trainer's box. Gary was already in position, foot tapping impatiently as he waited.

"Who gets to go first?"

"You want to see mine before you show yours?" Ash asked.

For some reason, Misty made a choking sound by the sideline.

Gary gave him a flat look. "I don't really care. But if you really want that slight advantage, I'll go first!"

He withdrew a poké ball from his bag and, with practiced flourish, threw it into the field. "I choose you!"

A small, purple hyrax with a big horn on its forehead landed on Gary's side of the field, and Ash pulled out Dexter for a closer look.

 **Nidoran – a poison-type pokémon. The male possesses large ears and a toxic horn which it uses to pre-emptively strike at any dangers. The female is more passive, though far from defenceless as it secretes a powerful poison from the barbs on its back.**

Ash's fingers moved across his belt, snatching a 'ball he felt would be a good choice. "Butterfree! I choose you!"

The butterfly took flight with a chirp, wings carrying him far above the field. Both teams, human and pokémon alike, faced down their counterpart with building anticipation.

Brock raised his hands, declaring formally, "This is a two-on-two battle between Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town and Gary Oak, also of Pallet Town! Are both trainers ready?"

"Ready."

"Ready!"

Time to show Gary what he could do.

* * *

Butterfree anxiously shook his wings, shedding specks of glittering dust throughout the air. His opponent followed his bobbing motions with a red-eyed glare, horn threateningly lowered, and Butterfree gulped.

This would be his first official battle. It was not like any practice matches or wild encounter, but a serious, competitive battle between equals. For the very first time, Butterfree fought opposite another 'mon with their own trainer behind them calling the shots, aiming to defeat _him._

The pressure weighed heavily on his fragile little wings.

" _H-hi... Nice to meet you. I hope we'll have a good battle...?"_

Nidoran continued glaring, which snuffed out any further attempts for talk.

Butterfree did not feel ready. The only 'real' fight he had been a part of was the underground battle with the marowak, and then mostly as mildly helpful support. The one to save the day had been Bulbasaur, whose Sleep Powder their trainer had used to claim victory that day. Everyone else had been fighting for their lives, and he had just flitted about like an annoying but harmless cutiefly.

Butterfree was nothing compared to the rest of them. He was not as fast as Pikachu, as hardy as Squirtle or as dependable as Bulbasaur. His wingspan was not as far-reaching as Pidgeotto's nor could he ever match the burning light that was Charmander's determination. He was but a weak little bug, the youngest member on a team of distinguished fighters.

Yet, it was _him_ their trainer had chosen for this fight. It was him, _Butterfree_ , whom their trainer had picked to open this battle. His trainer had put his faith in him, and if Butterfree was ever to repay that trust, then this was the time to do so.

He could do this.

Psych.

Then, he heard the dreaded words.

"Begin!"

The oppposing trainer acted first. "Open this battle with Focus Energy, Nidoran!"

Ash quickly threw out a response. "Butterfree! Hit 'em head on with Gust!"

Butterfree shot upwards, hurrying to obey. Gust was the easiest form of wind manipulation there was, little more than some wild flapping to whip up a turbulent gale which would buffet the target and maybe throw of their balance. It was not very precise, but it made up for power in area and impossible to avoid for Nidoran without cancelling his move.

"Take it!" Which the trainer apparently decided they would rather not.

Nidoran shuffled his feet to ground himself. He squinted as the winds started blowing, roaring and tearing at his frame, and while he staggered a lot and nearly went over he remained standing. The poison-type's eyes glinted sharply.

"Get in close!" Ash shouted. "Point-blank Confusion!"

"Fend it off with Double Kick!"

Butterfree dove while pulling on his psychic affinity, and Nidoran jumped high to meet him. They met in mid-air, both initial attacks missing as Nidoran twisted unexpectedly and Butterfree flitted out of the way, though the latter forgot to check for the second strike. Despite his wild acrobatics, Nidoran landed on his feet while Butterfree came out of the exchange with a pained right wing – though the injury stung only slightly less than the shame of being blindsided by _Double Kick_. How could he have missed that?

Nidoran charged him again, this time with a Horn Attack, and Butterfree flew up and out of the other pokémon's reach. However, that notion was quickly dispelled as a storm of Poison Sting nearly peppered his wings full of holes, and Butterfree got no respite as volley upon volley followed and forced him into some frantic ducking and weaving to keep ahead of the dedicated anti-air.

What to do what to do what to do-

"Butterfree! Try to use Confusion!"

Butterfree tried, but failed. Psychic-type attacks required hard resolve and focus to perform, none of which he had in spades, and pulling it off while also dodging was easier said than done. He tried again, got nicked by a few Stings, but managed to fire of a short burst of extrasensory energy at Nidoran's side.

At least that was his attention. Butterfree had at most hoped to knock over Nidoran, but the resulting surge almost sent the hyrax _flying_. That... was far stronger than what it should have been. What happened?

Wait. Was poison actually _weak_ to psychic?

Huh.

"Yeah! Great job, Butterfree! Now, go low and hit 'em from the front!"

Butterfree descended, willing another Confusion upon his opponent. However, Nidoran had already recovered and was expecting it this time, so he lunged out of the way just as the psychic grasp tightened on his position, leaving only specks of dust caught off the ground in the attack. Butterfree let go and tried again, following Nidoran as he loped across the field, his attacks missing but still nipping at the other's heels all the way. That was, until Nidoran entered attack range.

"Horn Attack!" the trainer called, and Nidoran leaped. Butterfree almost clawed at the air to change direction, throwing his body like a weight and letting Nidoran shoot past like a spiky projectile. He flared his wings to break, turning to right himself and hopefully expose the moment of weakness when the poison-type landed.

Then...

"Pivot!" Nidoran's trainer barked. "And rush them with Peck!"

" _What?!"_ Butterfree exclaimed.

"What?! No, quick–!"

Nidoran landed and turned on his toes, horn already humming with harmful intent.

"–Poison Powder!"

Butterfree panicked and dumped all the toxic dust he could muster, leaving a crude shield between the two of them. Nidoran soared right through, attack blinding and terrifying and-

Pain speared through his abdomen, and Butterfree tumbled like a leaf. For a split moment, nothing but the hurt existed, and then he frontally collided with a wall which snapped him out of his shock. No, not a wall – the ground, he blinked at the ground in front of his face, he had crashed. He started to squirm, desperately tried to figure out which muscles to move.

"-tip for you, Ashy-boy!" someone taunted. "Don't use moves that don't affect the opponent's type! Now, Peck!"

"Butterfree, please get up!" His trainer pleaded.

He was _trying_...! He _needed_ to...!

Butterfree pushed off, only to be hit in the back. It was off-angle but strong enough to dizzy him further, and he wobbled dangerously as he fought to stay afloat. His eyes seemed okay, but his balance was off...

"Peck, one more time!"

No! He needed to...

"Stun Spore!"

Marigold fuzz filled the air, and Butterfree was knocked down for the last time this battle. As his vision blacked out, he came to a sad acceptance of what a failure he was.

* * *

Gary mentally reviewed the battle so far. His lead, Nidoran, had been chosen as a well-rounded fighter with few weaknesses and a slight lean towards offense, which made it an adaptable responder against most low-level pokémon. With Butterfree, he estimated the matchup to be fairly even, with a possible favour for Ash's side (or so it'd seemed then; had that initial analysis been reliable?).

Ash had not gone for type advantage, but it had not taken long before he had revealed the super effective move Confusion (though Ash had looked surprised at seeing it first hand – hadn't he known?). Gary had lacked in ranged options and therefore opted to keep his own trump card Peck hidden until an opportune moment had presented itself, and it had paid off as it allowed him to finish his opponent with a few consecutive attacks (though could he have limited Nidoran's damage if he'd acted earlier...?).

Overall, the battle had gone well. It had stressed the clear issue with Nidoran's special skills, but for now it would be most efficient to prepare for evolution and gain some extra power (right?). As for Ash... he had more or less met expectations, though little more. He was at the level Gary had expected him to be.

Gary snapped out of his musings in time to see Ash send out his next pokémon. A bulbasaur – huh, go figure. Gary had personaly pegged Ash for a temperamental fire-type, but the other Pallet native had apparently gone with a mellow grass-type starter instead. A good, safe choice. Gary approved.

Now, if Bulbasaur was Ash's starter, it was likely to be one of Ash's stronger if not strongest pokémon. Gary had researched all three Kanto starter lines extensively in preparation for his journey, so he knew their strengths and abilities by heart. Bulbasaur was not a _great_ choice against Nidoran, but maybe Ash was compensating for his first loss with a stronger pokémon and... Oh. It looked like Butterfree's paralytic spores had caught Nidoran after all. That complicated matters.

He made some quick calculations and grimly concluded that Nidoran's chances looked grim. But he would make Ash work for his win and hopefully tire Bulbasaur out in preparation for Gary's last pokémon to clean out the remaining opposition...

"Battle resume!"

Plan made, Gary stored his other thoughts for later and focused on the battle in front of him.

* * *

Pikachu sighed.

This was... boring.

He was meant to be out there. He was Ash's right hand 'mon, the first to answer his call, the first to enter the fray in a fight, his _partner_. They had made a sacred exchange, and they were not meant to be separate like this. Never again.

Pidgeotto. Brock. Bulbasaur. Squirtle. Zapdos. To date, Pikachu had participated in Ash's every major battle. To sit out the first one against what appeared to be Ash's _arch rival_... well, it sucked, plain and simple.

His attention had strayed from the battle, which was the only reason as to why he caught on to movement between the table tops. He skittered over to investigate and looked over the edge, only to meet the eyes of a pidgey. Pikachu was roughly reminded of the difference between pokémon of the wild and the city, as the bird not as much as flinched in the face of his otherwise natural enemy.

" _Hi,"_ Pikachu started, realising he had been yet to say anything. _"How's it going?"_

The pidgey tilted his head. _"Fine. Haven't seen you around these parts before – you a tourist?"_

" _More or less,"_ Pikachu said, then pointed. _"My trainer's over there. The one wearing a cap."_

" _Ain't he the one who tried poisoning a nidoran?"_

Pikachu sighed. _"Yes, him."_

" _Ah. I feel for you."_

" _He's not that bad most of the time."_ Definitely not. The sight of his arms blocking the way for a harmful god would stay with Pikachu for as long as he lived. _"Anyway, we're out on a journey and are only visiting for a few days. Anything I should know about this place? How's it living here?"_

The pidgey did a birdish version of a 'so-so' gesture. _"The weather's so-so, though there ain't many others to beef with over food. Being normal-type's a boom – the ghosts just leave you alone,"_

Pikachu hummed. _"What do you eat?"_

" _Leftovers, mostly. Humans are odd about their grub, y'know? Won't even touch it it's on the ground."_ He looked around. _"You hungry? I can show you where to find the good bits."_

" _No worries,"_ Pikachu said quickly. He was a proud forest 'mon, not some simple scavenger. However, as he glanced away, something caught his interest on one of the farthest tables. _"Huh... what's that?"_

The pidgey looked. _"That? Oh, something the humans like to put on the meat... beats me why, though – it's starchy as they come."_

Interest piqued, Pikachu went over to take a closer look. The container was large enough that he needed both paws to lift it, and he had to fiddle for a bit to open the cork. A sweet aroma filled the air, and a small drop of red sauce dripped out the opening.

The pidgey flapped up on to the table and landed next to him. _"Feel like trying yourself? Well, I'd let you have it..."_

Pikachu mentally shrugged and licked it up for a taste...

And discovered something amazing.

" _What's this called?"_

" _Ketchup."_

* * *

"Nidoran is unable to battle!"

Bulbasaur sighed in relief. Like any battle between poison-types, the fight against Nidoran had been long and arduous. Bulbasaur had been limited in ways to hurt his opponent – he _really_ needed a broader move set – and Nidoran had to get close to use Peck, which was a challenge due to the paralysis. For that reason, Bulbasaur had simply focused on keeping his opponent at a distance while firing off attacks every once in a while, and Nidoran had eventually succumbed to his wounds.

As Nidoran was recalled, Bulbasaur took the moment to breathe and recover some strength. His trainer rained the praise over him, and Bulbasaur allowed for a small smile to form. This life... it was good. He had a supporting and fair trainer – a title once sullied with resentment, now replanted in better soil – and companions far more benign than the ones he had known before. His bulb was even growing again, for the first time in recent memory.

Bulbasaur felt satisfied.

The foreign trainer sent out his next fighter, and Bulbasaur treaded in place. This battler was likely going to be stronger than Nidoran and have an advantageous typing to boot. Bulbasaur sank into a ready stance, watching his opponent take shape...

And blinked.

They looked like a squirtle, but... not. They were bigger, with darker skin and a burlier build. Oddest though were the furry, wing-like ears extending from the sides of their head and – which he spotted as the other pokémon moved it around – the just as furry tail flowing behind them like a breaking wave.

A wartortle. The evolved form of squirtle.

Bulbasaur blinked again.

" _You're the one who beat Nidoran?"_

His grin was cocky. Familiar.

" _Well, know that my shell's a lot harder than his horn,"_ Wartortle continued, thumping himself on plastron. _"And a lot less nice."_

His grin turned feral at the edge. Bulbasaur suddenly found himself thinking clearly again.

He shook his head. His opponent might bear a striking resemblance to Squirtle, but his best friend would never threaten someone with such apparent hostility. They were not the same.

Still, the sight was... jarring, in a sense.

"Hey Gary! You do know that water's weak to grass, right?" Bulbasaur's trainer said.

"I thought you'd need every advantage you can get," the other one retorted.

"As if! It doesn't matter what type it is, we can still take anything you throw at us!"

As the one the opponent was going to aim at, Bulbasaur did not exactly share his trainer's sentiment and would gladly have it be water if he had the option. Luckily, the other trainer seemed set in his choice.

"Well, no need to drag this out then... Wartortle! Ice Beam!"

Bulbasaur cursed.

* * *

Meowth did not like being startled awake. Neither did he like that he managed to perch himself on the ledge above his bed with fully drawn claws before he realised what had woken him, thereby giving the responsible party a good laugh at his overreaction.

Looking up, Meowth spotted a very amused ghastly hovering by the ceiling, leering down at him with mischief in his eyes. Sourly, Meowth retracted his claws and levelled a glare at the offending ghost.

"Leave me alone."

He only got a snicker in response. Meowth batted at the ghost, who like the gaseous ball he was drifted out of the way with lazy ease. Pestilent, purple poof, why could he not let Meowth _sleep_? "Get outta here, or I'll prove how tangible you are wit' a Night Slash between de eyes."

The ghastly laughed again, but thankfully decided to humour him and darted away among the shadows.

"Ghosts," Meowth grumbled as he dropped down on his pillow. "Dis mission can't end too early, dat's for sure."

* * *

This was bad. This was _really_ bad.

The battle had been one-sided since it started, with Wartortle clearly having the advantage in both firepower and sheer endurance. They circled each other like prey and predator, water-type chasing as grass-type fled, and Ash could see how Bulbasaur was straining to keep ahead in their dangerous dance. Frost clung to his leaves, colouring their edges black, and condensed water trailed like drops of sweat down his limbs. Meanwhile, Wartortle did not have as much as a straw of grass stuck to his body and still looked as fresh as he had five minutes ago, when their fight had yet to begin.

Wartortle was _strong_.

His pulse echoed loudly in his ears, and Ash desperately raked his brain for some brilliant solution he had not seen until now. Bulbasaur was outmatched in almost every way,

He could still win this!

"Bulbasaur, use Sleep Powder!"

"Sweep it away! Water Pulse!"

A tall wave of water rose to swallow what spores Bulbasaur managed to produce, before cresting and crashing against the hybrid himself. He came out of it looking drained and slightly delirious, and seemingly unaware of Wartortle who was rapidly closing in.

"Vine Whip!" Ash cried, but Bulbasaur's attempt went wide, leaving him fully exposed as the turtle slid up by his side.

"Finish it! Brick Break!"

"No! Bulbasaur!"

The barrier buster dropped with enough force to create a large dust cloud. When it settled, Wartortle stood tall and proud above a clearly unconscious Bulbasaur.

Ash's eyes fell.

"Bulbasaur is unable to battle! The victory goes to Gary Oak!"

He had already figured as much, but the words themselves made Ash's tongue feel like he had chewed on some bitter herb or berry. His insides felt cold, and frustration pushed behind his eyes. This had been his chance to prove himself to Gary, and he had blown it. If Bulbasaur only had lasted a little longer... but no, his pokémon had fought hard and given it their all. It was Ash himself who was not enough.

He returned Bulbasaur and mumbled something appreciative, he did not really think of what, to the 'ball. He fought to hold back the disappointment as he lifted his head and forced a smile upon his face, before stepping forwards to congratulate Gary.

As usual.

* * *

"Here's a thought for you," Gary told Ash while coating his hot dog in mustard. "How about some forethought when you're going into battle? I couldn't help but notice your fighting style was mainly based on trial and error."

"That's basically Ash's approach to battling in a nutshell," Misty said bluntly, ignoring Ash's indignant cry of 'Hey!'

"You, I like," Gary said with a smirk, pointing at her with his 'dog. "Who knew such vibrant flowers boasted thorns?"

"Charmer," Misty giggled. "I'll have you be careful, though; my parents told me to look out for smooth guys trying to hit on pretty girls."

"I don't think you have anything to worry about then," Ash muttered – avoiding a slap only due to Misty being unsure of whom it was he had insulted – and stepped up to pay.

"That'll be ¥1,500."

"For a couple hot dogs?!"

"Those hot dogs, as well as the entire bottle of ketchup your pikachu somehow managed to put down on his own."

Ash gave his starter a betrayed look. Pikachu rolled over on his back and burped contentedly.

* * *

 ***¥1,500:** About $15, or €13 (note that this does not reflect upon real-life exchange rates).

* * *

 **OMAKE II – Typical Rival**

"Full Restore!" Gary crowed.

"Stop _doing_ that!" Ash whined. "You can't just stop the whole battle to treat your pokémon! That _can't_ be allowed!"

"Sorry Ash, but it is!" Brock called from the referee box, because _of course_ a former Gym Leader would think so.

"It shouldn't!"

"I'm Gary Oak! I make the rules!"

"What does that even _mean–_?Hey! Where are _you_ going?!"

" _This is ridiculous,"_ Bulbasaur grumbled as he trudged pasthis trainer. _"I concede._ "

"No! You can ignore orders, sure, but straight up _leaving_? That's not how this works!"

"Since you use your turn to switch pokémon," Gary began, digging into his bag, "then I'll follow it up with this! Activate, X-Attack!"

"Wait, _what_?! Since when was this turn-based?!"

" _I call hacks,"_ Pikachu said under his breath.

* * *

 **[AN]: I'M BACK! EatA is officially off hiatus!**

 **This is something of a breather episode after the crazy chapter I dropped... was it 8 months ago? That's... wow. At this rate, I might just as well start releasing new chapters with every new Pokémon game with the pace I'm setting...**

 **Dropping in with the TRio for a quick update, though Meowth was unfortunately not up for any extended POV this time. Wonder when they might show up again...**

 **A wild Gary appears. He and Ash have known each other for years, and I'm trying to properly convey the complexities of a long relationship compared to the recent ones this fic has featured so far. They validate each other and care about the other's opinion of them, though it is more apparent on Ash's side (as is the inferiority complex).**

 **Mid-battle, Gary's analytic but second-guessing nature is clear in his thought process, unlike Ash who works by gut-feeling and the power of friendship. BTW, Gary is totally the type of guy that would love mustard.**

 **I've decided to portray money in this fic using the Japanese ¥ (yen) symbol, which is the currency of the original games (though they use the kanji). The English regional variant uses an original symbol and typing out 'Pokémon Dollar' at every turn gets redundant fast. Pretend it still reads as such if you prefer it to the style I've chosen.**

 **Lastly: that Omake, well... this my catharsis after ~10 years of having to deal with this exact rubbish. If I can get a chuckle out of you, then that's a bonus.**

 **That's all for this instalment of EatA. Hang in there, loyal readers – until next time!**


	14. Chapter 13 - Game of Cat and Mouse

**Veriqi does not own Pokémon as a franchise, just a copy of a game or two.**

 **Follow and fav are the general way of telling me you enjoy this story. Review to give me the details.**

* * *

 **Chapter 13 – Game of Cat and Mouse**

by Veriqi

* * *

Lavender Heights was an ancient burial ground where people since centuries past had travelled to bury their dead. It sat upon a low mountaintop in the southern reaches of the Rock Mountains, out of the way of the big metropolitan area but still within a few days journey of most major cities. Lavender Town had been settled downhill later in history by groundskeepers and spiritual mediums who to this day made up a sizeable part of the population, and the cemetery itself was well-known as a place of great reverence across the eastern lands.

It was also infamous as the host of most if not all ghost-type pokémon in Kanto. It was the reason why Gary was so intent on visiting while Ash wanted to leave for the opposite end of the region.

His childhood friend had shared his plans with Ash, Misty and Brock as they reconvened at the PMC after their battle which had left a sour taste in Ash's mouth. Gary had proven that he as it was – and, as it always was – the better of the two of them. Gary was already ahead as a trainer, and at hearing he was going to widen that gap further made Ash feel the need to quicken his own pace. He could not let Gary get any sort of advantage upon those he already had in skill and knowledge.

Though, in hindsight... maybe he should have said it in a better way than 'hey, why don't we all go to the haunted shadowy place full of ghosts together?'

Either way, Misty and Brock had latched on to Ash's hasty suggestion and now they were all going. An Ash had no one to blame but himself. But Gary would hold it over him forever if he torchickened out now, and so he determinedly braced himself as they climbed the path to the cemetery gate.

Then...

"What do they mean 'closed for renovation'?"

An official-looking sign bearing the mark of the Pokémon League sat before them, right between the mighty stone columns of the Lavender Height's entrance gate. 'No trespassing' it read in blocky letters, along with the reason thereof – the source of Ash's outburst.

Gary patted Ash on the shoulder. "It means, Ashy-boy, that they are probably restoring the Pokémon Tower."

"That's a shame," Brock sighed. "We came all this way for nothing."

"Well, at least the view's great from here," Misty drawled. She turned to gaze over the wall of mist concealing what might have been a spectacular sight. "...if this wasn't ol' foggy Lavender Town, that is."

"I thought you liked it when the weather's wet like this?" Ash said.

"I do, but I vastly prefer being able to see, genius."

"Odd though that they'd feel the need to close the cemetery," Brock pondered aloud. "I know for a fact that the Pewter council would never restrict access to public gravesites. At least not without good cause."

"One better than spiffing up the place?" Gary wondered.

"Ghost infestation?" Brock suggested.

"That's common knowledge for Lavender and yet it doesn't stop anyone from coming here normally." He gave the sign a sceptic glance and strolled right past it. "That decides it then."

"Wait, Gary!" Ash blurted. "Didn't the sign say–"

"Don't tell me you've become such a stickler for the rules Ash," Gary gibed, turning to give him his trademark, cocky grin.

"I'm not!" Ash protested. "But it's the League!"

"Chillax! They won't mind me if I'll just hang around the premises for a while," Gary waved him off.

"Doesn't the whole 'no trespassing' thing imply that's exactly what they would have a problem with?" Misty pointed out.

"I'll be no trouble." Gary threw a cocky grin over the shoulder. "I'm just here to catch a ghost-type."

"He'd so deserve it if he got eaten by one," Ash muttered under his breath as the other trainer disappeared into the fog.

A minute of silence passed.

"Should we follow him?" Brock asked.

Ash grunted. "Prolly."

"...Eh, we're basically witnesses if not accomplices already," Misty sighed. "Let's go."

They quickly caught up with Gary – smiling smugly, of course – and continued towards the tower together. The mist moved in quiet waves around them, spindly trees and gravestones flickering in and out of view. The gravel crunched loudly beneath their shoes.

"You said the reason of this trip was to help you in the Saffron gym?" Brock spoke up.

"Yeah." Gary nodded. "I was having some trouble against the gym leader; figured a type advantage would help."

"Sabrina's always been among the sharpest of us in battle, not to mention the sharpest looking." Brock grinned shamelessly. "Though on paper the most effective choice against her would be a dark-type."

Gary scoffed. "In Kanto? Good luck finding one. Johto's the place where they're at, and going there just for that is too much of a hassle. No, trust me – I've done my research. This is where to look for any psychic countermeasures."

"I thought gastly and their evolutions where the common species to be found around here."

"They are."

"Though the gastly family is part-poison and just as vulnerable towards psychic types as said psychic-types are to ghost..."

"A mutual advantage is still an advantage. It's just a matter of exploiting it." Gary jerked a thumb at himself. "Of course, since it's me, the chances are good that I'll find one of the rarer, non-poisonous ghosts said to be lurking around."

Ash rolled his eyes.

"When did you guys meet?"

Misty's sudden question made Ash blink. "Who?"

"You and Gary," she clarified. "You said you were childhood friends, but how come you know each other?"

"We grew up in the same town," Ash said, and that was pretty much it. Pallet Town was no big place and he knew practically every other local kid his age by name. "But we didn't actually become friends until school."

"Uh-huh," Misty hummed. "Why, though?"

"Why?"

"Yeah. Why, or, I mean–" She shook her head. "I mean, what made the two of you hit it off? Friends generally have the same interests and stuff, right? What did it for you guys?"

"Uh," Ash said slowly, "we both like pokémon...?"

"Jeez, that's specific."

"That's it!" That was what they had bonded over during school breaks; what had made Gary take him over to his grandfather's lab after their last bell. They had ventured past the town border time and again on journeys in the woods, at least up until the real thing... "And, well, I guess we both always wanted to be trainers. Like, as a career rather than as try-outs."

"Okay." She studied Gary, whom Brock had pulled into a discussion about breeding or something. "Y'know, he's charming and all, but... he's honestly a bit of a douche."

Ash snorted. "Yeah. Always has been."

"...it never bothers you?" Misty's voice was airy yet... weird. "I mean, I wouldn't know, but to me it feels like you'd at least be annoyed if someone were to constantly call you names, deride everything you do, hit you–"

"Uh, Gary never does that–" Ash began.

"–and just be in general like... I don't know... douchy." Misty continued unimpeded. "You never... resent that?"

Ash almost forgot to keep walking. His tongue dried up, words fleeing before they could even form. Still, her question hung between them.

He snuck a hasty glance at Gary, who lectured animatedly over something with Brock. He was fully absorbed.

"It does," Ash finally admitted. "He laughs when I mess up. He knows a lot of stuff and says it's all obvious, even though I think it's not. And he loves telling me when I've done something wrong. Sometimes, I really hate it.

"But." Ash swallowed. He needed Misty to understand this. "But when I do mess up, he always helps me to do it right instead. He explains it. Twice, if he has to, and in another way even if I don't get it by then. It..." It was more than most other people cared to do. "...it makes me think that at least he cares."

"I... I think I get it." Misty said. "He's still a douche though."

"He is," Ash agreed. "But that's Gary for you."

"Still your friend."

"Yeah."

Misty momentarily fell silent. Then, Pikachu shouted in alarm, drowning out her next sentence and sending Ash's full attention to his partner.

"What is it Pikachu?"

The mouse turned his head frantically, eyes searching among the branches.

"What has your pokémon in a fit?" Gary wondered from upfront. Brock looked faintly panicked.

"You saw something?" Ash asked.

The tense atmosphere lasted for a few more seconds. Then, Pikachu's ears lowered as he let out a confused whine.

"False alarm?" Ash ensured. "Well, this place is kinda spooky... sorry Misty, what was that?"

Misty sighed. "Nothing, Ash. Nothing at all."

Ash frowned but turned back to the road.

* * *

That was a close one. Luckily, he managed to hide fast enough when the pikachu somehow detected his presence – if only for a moment – and the humans had ruled it off as a fluke. He then waited until they were out of sensory range before he dared himself to relax again.

Meowth had only just gone on-duty when the humans had shown up at his post. The false warning signs went completely ignored – Meowth had to curse at the typical teenager behaviour – as they continued through the cemetery, and so he had shadowed them to figure out their motives. The hope was that they were just there to fool around among the graves or the like but no, they were by all evidence heading for the Pokémon Tower. Perfect.

He had just been about to leave and inform Zager when he had almost been discovered, and in the following commotion only one present party had heard what the girl had said. The boy and his pet had been distracted; the other humans were not part of the conversation at all. Only Meowth, who was following specifically to listen in, caught it.

'Do you think the same of us?'

What a shame the boy had not heard it. But that was hardly Meowth's problem.

He pushed off against the wooden perch and took off through the misty landscape. Good thing he knew a shorter route back to base – he needed to tell Zager of the intruders and figure out how to deal with them before they arrived.

* * *

"We're here," Brock stated.

They had been walking for almost twenty minutes by the time that they reached the cemetery peak. The path suddenly evened out and the trees gave way for an open space of paved cobblestone. The edges disappeared in the mist which seemed thicker than ever, huddled over the like summit like a woolly blanket. Yet despite their clouded vision, they could all spot the looming shadow ahead, rising from the middle of the plaza like a mountain made of shadow.

The Pokémon Tower was massive. Standing before it, Ash had to lean his head backwards to even see the top. The base was broader than an entire battlefield, though it grew slimmer the further up the eye travelled. Further details were hard to distinguish, but what might have been simple windows lined the walls like the embrasures of a castle in the otherwise featureless façade.

It looked like a fortress. A fortress guarding a border of another realm entirely.

"What do you know," Gary broke the awed silence that had enveloped them. "Not a soul to be seen."

"That doesn't even remotely mean the same thing as usual around here," Brock said, sounding pained.

"Well, I was referring to any restoration workers," Gary said blithely. "But hey, ghosts work too."

"No pokémon around here..." Ash said as he looked around, for once not terribly disappointed by the fact.

"Should we go in?" Misty asked tentatively. "See if there's any ghost-types inside?"

"Well, why turn back when we've come this far? Unless anyone feels like they've had enough...?"

Though said as if he asked their group as a whole, Ash clearly spotted the address in it. He gulped and met Gary's eyes straight on. "I'm with you all the way."

"Good to hear."

They moved closer. The empty windows stared down at as they climbed the steps, and Ash swore he could feel hidden eyes watching from behind the narrow openings. The front door was closed bu unlocked, though the inside was as dark as a pit.

"I'm starting to see why'd they had to close down the place..." Gary grumbled. "No lights? Really?"

"Anyone got torches? Please tell me we got torches now," Misty begged.

"Hang on, I did buy some first thing yesterday..."

Brock swiftly procured a torch for each of them from his bag. Ash fumbled as he tried turning it on, though he was too nervous to feel embarrassed about it when he saw the narrow spread of the light. He made some sweeping motions to compensate, letting the torch's light dart across the room – a simple entrance hall, free of any decoration or furniture. A few doors lined the walls, and a larger staircase to the right.

"Where are we heading?" Misty asked.

"Up was the plan," Gary said. "They say that's where the bigger and badder ghosts hang out, so that's where I'm going to look."

Ash gulped. "Do we have to...?"

"Definitely"

"Okay."

The stairs were steep but easy enough to climb. They found themselves in a hallway, irregularly lined by gateless portals and memorial stones between stout columns supporting the floors above. A few paces down, the path bent out of sight.

As they continued onwards, Ash's eyes darted nervously among the shadows. Four combined torches were enough to light up the way, but the darkness clung to the pillars and alcoves. The structured surroundings became natural cave and rock. The plates of remembered companions disappeared as uneven stalactites replaced them. The light flickered from Charmander's open flame rather than the electrical tool in his hand.

The space was tight. Cut off. His breath grew tighter, tension filling him in preparation for something unseen to jump him. Raw feelings resurfaced; fear, worry, regret...

It was like he had never left the caverns of the Rock Mountains after all.

Pikachu pushed closer against him. The agitation eased a little.

"This... this feels like being in an old castle," Misty murmured.

"Yeah, it does," Ash agreed quietly. He might have visited an old ruin with his mother when he was younger, but he could not remember clearly. "Why does it feel so...?"

"Prisonlike?"

"...I was going for something like 'glum', but that works."

"It's because it was built during a period of frequent war," Brock said solemnly. "Not only was there a need for somewhere to bury the fallen pokémon, but also a place to retreat to and defend from in times of crisis. Thus, they built both in one."

"I see," Gary filled in. "This place is a castle and not just a mausoleum."

"What's a 'mass-o-lee-uhm'?" Ash said.

"A spruced-up tomb, basically," Gary promptly explained, "or a real grand one at any rate. And if there's a place deserving to be called that, it would be the biggest mass tomb in the eastern hemisphere."

"Actually, a mausoleum is technically not a tomb in itself but a building or monument containing a tomb," Brock corrected.

"Semantics!"

"It was also as built as a monument to the gods," Brock continued. "This location is considered sacred by ancient faiths. The belief was that the spirits of the pokémon would bless their owners and continue to protect them even after death if their remains were given a proper burial."

"I didn't know you were this knowledgeable about local traditions, Brock," Misty said. "You secretly a believer?"

"...My mother was. She taught me much of the more... spiritual sides in life."

"Oh."

Ash felt a hard clod grind within his gut.

"It's okay," Brock murmured serenely. "No one in the family is pious by any means, but... she did inspire something in us all. It made us better than we would've been otherwise, I think."

Gary looked awkward, and Ash suddenly remembered that mothers were a bit of a touchy subject.

"Uh, so, d'you know why there are so many corridors around here?" He spoke up hurriedly, latching on to the first thing he could think of. "Are we even going the right way?"

Brock did not seem affected by the sudden change of topic. "Not for a fact, but since we're still on the lower floors, I'd guess they would be for storage and to confuse attackers in the case of a siege.

"I heard downtown that the tower has a lot of diverting paths," Gary volunteered, though noticably subdued. "The passageways twist, turn and cross each other so much the tower's interior could be considered a maze."

"That reassures me so much," Misty deadpanned.

"Either way, this place is big," Brock commented. "Shouldn't we have reached the stairs by now?"

"Now that you say it, we have been walking for a long while." Gary said, then paused. "Heh, what do you know. There it is."

The second-to-third-floor stairs came into view at the end of the hall, which widened into a larger room. Numerous doors opened into dark tunnels along the walls, leaving no place for memorials.

None of that was the odd thing. The odd thing was that there were two lights on either side of the stairs and the hallway they had come from, bathing the room in a gloomy but serviceable dusk.

"Wait, why's there only power at this level...?" Gary said.

A thud sounded from above.

Ash stopped. "Did you hear that?"

"Really, Ashy-boy? I knew you were scared, but aren't making up sounds a bit–"

A clear, screeching noise cut through. The stiffening off everybody in the room told Ash that this time, they all heard it.

"...far. You know what, nevermind."

"Is it a ghost?" Ash asked with dread. Light pats echoed down the stairs, drawing all their focus. A small shape moved at the top of the stairs, which they saw when it came into view was...

"A meowth?" Brock said. Now that they thought of it, the noises did resemble those of a cat.

"What's it doing here?" Gary wondered.

The Meowth meowed and scampered towards them on all four. Ash stepped forward to meet them and kneeled down with an extended hand. "Hi there, buddy. What in the world are you doing in a place–"

* * *

"–like this?"

Pikachu had been on edge since their group had entered the gravesite. It had nothing to do with the cemetery or even the weird board which apparently meant that they were not supposed to enter – rather, it was a certain feeling about the place. It was different from the mark of a Legend but similar in the way it caused wariness in those that went near it. None of the humans seemed aware, but Pikachu suspected that if any of his teammates were to leave their poké balls, they would feel it too.

Yet, it was the meowth's appearance which really sent his hackles raising. He did not know what it was, the thing that made him so on guard. Maybe it was the trepidation getting to him. Maybe it was the annoyance of the earlier battle where he had not been able to participate. Maybe it was his trainer's fear which steeled his own resolve and instinct to protect.

Maybe it was that the Meowth had spoken without actually speaking.

Either way, that small bump in his wariness was the only reason he saw the flash of claws in time. It was why, when Meowth suddenly lunged for Ash's midsection, that Pikachu was ready to intervene; Iron Tail shielding his vulnerable trainer against a swipe of razor-sharp Fury Swipes.

"Woah-!"

 _"Don't touch him!"_

The meowth backflipped and landed lightly on his paws. His head rose, revealing narrowed, feline eyes which zeroed in on Pikachu as he took a ready position in front of the group.

"Drat." the meowth said. "You just had to get in de way, huh?"

"Did... that meowth just talk? Like a human?!" Ash exclaimed, bafflement mirroring Pikachu's own.

"You'd like me to repeat myself?" the cat drawled.

"Well, he sure did sass at you," Gary noted.

"...since when can pokémon do that?" Misty said.

"Y'mean talkin'? Since... what, ever? Though I obviously ain't your avarage 'mon." Meowth's gaze slid across their group, then fell back on Pikachu in a half-lidded look of distain. "I don't dance to the pipe of a human taskmaster, for one."

Pikachu bristled. _"Why'd you attack my trainer?"_

"You'd like to know dat, wouldn't you?" Meowth sneered like only a cat could.

Pikachu let off a few sparks but winced as his cheeks tightened unpleasantly. Right, no electricity. _"If you came looking for a fight, then you should know that I don't play nice."_

"Typical battlers. It's always about fighting with the lot of you," Meowth sighed, shaking his head. He raised his paws in a condolatory shrug, almost theatrical and overwhelmingly human in its execution. "But to answer your question... no, I'm not interested in fighting, as you put it. I just wanted this shiny thing."

He made a quick motion, and suddenly his paw was not as empty anymore. Behind Pikachu, Ash cursed as he discovered the empty slot on his belt.

"Oh, you think I was aiming for you?" Meowth grinned widely, fingers toying with the poké ball in his grip. "Trust me – if I really wanted to harm him, the mouse here wouldn't have been able to stop me."

Pikachu stared at the 'ball. He did not know whose it was – frankly, he had no idea how Ash could tell any of them apart – but he knew that what it held was a teammate whom had fallen into the literal claws of an enemy. A teammate likely unaware of any goings-on outside, especially how they had been taken like a trophy to be flaunted against their own friends. And by an insolent crook of a 'mon no less.

Pikachu looked back at the cat's infuriatingly smug expression, and he tightly roped in his electricity even as his anger ramped.

"Hey! That's mine!" Ash barked.

"You lippy little–!" Misty bit out.

"Don't worry Ash," Gary said coldly. "He's not going to keep that for long."

"Can't you see we're having a conversation here?" Meowth snarked.

Both Ash and Pikachu decided that was enough.

"Quick Attack!"

 _"Gladly!"_

"...Twerps." The scratch cat neatly sidestepped the attack with a springy step. Pikachu snarled and turned to follow but recoiled as something hard beaned him in the head, effectively dispersing the attack as it knocked him on his rear. He rubbed at the sore spot, eyes finding what Meowth had hit him with as it rolled to a stop by his foot.

A coin?

"You want this back?" Pikachu looked up to find Meowth standing by one of the portals, poké ball held like a tempting lure. "Then come and get it!"

He disappeared into the tunnel. Pikachu scrambled to his feet, Ash almost passing him before he could push of and get any speed.

"Give that back!"

"Stop!"

"Ash! Wait!"

"Don't run off! You could get lost–"

Brock, Misty and Gary's calls died out as turns and twists left thick stone walls to drown out their voices. Pikachu listened for the light pats of pawed feet in front, chasing what hints of Meowth's flight he could follow. Easier to hear was the steady sprinting behind him of his trainer, struggling to keep pace but continuing still when others might have given up.

They would stop until they had freed their teammate.

Their tireless pursuit led them deeper among the tunnelling network. Nothing but the mechanical light wielded by Ash lit their way, yet as they ran the contours around them grew more pronounced. Corners popped against opposing walls and brickwork grew more pronounced. Before long, the themselves were glowing like bonfires within blocks of ice.

Pikachu barely had any time to wonder at this strange phenomenon before he realised Meowth's footsteps had subsided.

He slowed by a junction and sat down to listen. Ash also halted when he saw Pikachu stopping, leaving no disturbances – or, at least that was how it was supposed to work. Pikachu could not hear anything beyond a few paces, regardless of how he strained his ears. The sounds he could hear were funky and disjointed, backed by some static noise unlike anything else.

It was not just the sound either. Now that Pikachu looked, he saw that the light that was everywhere lacked something essential. He could not for the life of him decide what the colour was, but the tinge... there was something wrong with it, and it pervaded every cranny. It was eerily reminiscent of the false world created by the inside of the poké ball.

He started to get the idea that something was very wrong.

"Pikachu?"

Pikachu flinched. Right, Ash was here too – how could he forget that?

This strange place was messing his perception.

He set off again. The walls twisted around him, and when he turned the corner it felt like he had barely taken a step. Were it not for the memory he had of just doing it, he might as well not have moved at all.

Where were they going?

...Was this not the same junction as before?

"...Pikachu?"

Ash sounded nervous. Pikachu had the better senses; he had to figure this out.

He looked around. Actually, what way did they come from? All paths looked the same and unnaturally so. They did not look like they were made of stone shaped by human hands – they were too ordinary, too perfect. Like an idealised picture or imitation. And over it all lay that strange glow.

Where in the world were they?

Was this all even real?

...Where was the way back?

 _"I can answer that."_

Pikachu shouted in surprise – he would deny to his last breath that he shrieked – as a voice spoke right behind his ear, and he turned with bared fangs towards whatever had given him the scare. A gastly bobbed merrily before him, mouth grinning widely beneath the over-blown eyes too big to fit on its gaseous body. The grin grew wider still as the ghost noticed Pikachu's wary gaze.

His trainer whimpered something that sounded like '...ghost...'.

 _"Heed my words, mortal,"_ the gastly intoned. _"I bring you words from the other side."_

Pikachu blinked. Ash looked ready to faint.

Then the gastly keeled over, as much as that was possible for a single head. He giggled uproariously, _"...I've always wanted to say that!"_

Pikachu was more than a little lost. _"Uhm..."_

 _"No no, I know, sorry..."_ the gastly visibly tried to compose himself. _"Give me a minute, I just have to..."_

The snickering ghost took a few more moments to get it out of his system. If he was trying to disarm them, it was working – even Ash looked less terrified at the display.

 _"Hah... all right,"_ the gastly said, finally calming down with one last sniff. _"Hi. I'm Gastly, also a gastly. It's convenient like that. Resident spook and professional haunter-to-be. So, who're you?"_

 _"...Pikachu?"_

 _"You don't know? That's a bummer. Wait!"_ Gastly turned on the spot – literally; his face rotated around his central body mass – towards Ash. _"Hey, you look like a trainer. Is this pokémon here named 'Pikachu' by chance? I don't wanna assume."_

Ash clearly did not understand the ghost and just stared. "Uhm...?"

 _"You don't know either? You have to sort that problem out."_ Gastly went back to Pikachu, completely ignoring the bewildered looks. _"I'm just gonna go ahead and call you Pikachu, capisce? Before anyone goes all PC on me and flips out over it, honestly..."_

Pikachu carefully enquired, _"Did you... read my mind?"_

Gastly blinked. _"I did what now?"_

 _"Back then, you responded to what I was thinking,"_ Pikachu persisted. _"Like you knew."_

 _"Uh, no I didn't. I just said something random."_

 _"Okay? Then why..."_ he trailed off.

 _"I just figured it'd have a good chance of freaking you out."_

Pikachu had the sudden itch to blast him full of volts. _"...What do you want?"_

 _"I could ask you the same,"_ Gastly said, face rocking from side to side. _"People aren't supposed to visit these parts of the tower. They all usually go for the top floors where the newer graves are. Well, they used to, 'til the dark pants-guys showed up."_

 _"The what?"_

 _"The dark pants-guys."_

 _"...I heard what you said the first time."_

 _"Then why ask about it?"_

 _"I didn't–"_ Pikachu sighed. _"What I meant was – who are they?"_

 _"Oh, some real uppity snobs. You know the type who walks past your table and takes a bite out your food 'cause they can?"_ Gastly made a face. _"That type. They came here with all their 'balls and boxes and started bossing everyone around like they owned the place. Stopped all the nice aunties from coming to say hi, too."_

Pikachu only listened with half an ear. While these 'dark pants-guys' did not sound nice, they hardly seemed relevant to their current situation. _"Look, I don't have time for this. There's someone I have to find, so if you feel the need to rant–"_

Pikachu almost discharged on reflex as Gastly zoomed right up in his face. _"But I didn't get to tell you 'bout how fun they're to tease! Especially the cat!"_

 _"You mean Meowth?"_

 _"The one with paws for hands? With whiskers, with fangs, with coins upon his bangs?"_

 _"...Well, I guess."_

 _"That's him!"_ Gastly declared, triumphantly. _"He's newer, but he works with the dark pants-guys though he doesn't wear 'em himself. He usually hangs around outside but he comes back every now and then to sleep. Doesn't do much else, really."_

 _"He tried to hurt my trainer_ _and stole my teammate's poké ball,"_ Pikachu said bluntly.

" _Oh. That's rough."_ The ghost sobered by a little. _"Then I guess he's the one you're looking for?"_

 _"Yeah. Him and our other friends, I guess."_

 _"Well, then you're in the entirely wrong place. This place is... how do they say? 'From where the living may not return'?"_

 _"What?!"_

 _"Kidding!"_ Gastly laughed. _"Still, this is kind of the, uh, backstage area. Only personnel of the haunted tower, if you get what I mean. But it's no problem if you've got a guide!"_ He spun in the air. _"And lucky for you, you've got me!"_

 _"Okay?"_

 _"Yes-kay! I'll show you the way back, no prob!"_

 _"That's... great."_ Pikachu was not really liking this ghost, but he had little options as it was.

"Uh... Pikachu?"

" _Oh, right."_ He turned to his trainer, whose obliviousness he felt pretty envious of right in that moment. _"Gastly here has offered to show the way for us... I think."_

"That's great!" Ash said. "Thank you, Gastly!"

 _"No prob!"_ Gastly darted over their heads, hovering down before one of the passages. _"I don't know where those you want are, but we should run into them sooner or later, right?"_

Pikachu was not convinced by that argument. _"Right."_

 _"Come on then!"_ Gastly called and promptly went right through the wall.

He popped out again after a few moments, apparently having realised why neither Pikachu nor Ash was following. _"Sorry. I forget you people can't do that. Take two – come on then!"_

He took off down the corridor, Pikachu and Ash right on his smoky trail. When it eventually split, Gastly chose one without pause and the rest of them followed. He did the same with the next as well as the one after that and the one thereafter...

Through it all they followed, bound to the apparent whim of a scatter-brained smokestack. Pikachu despaired. What if their self-proclaimed guide was just picking paths at random? What if there actually was no way out of this madness where all roads led back to the beginning?

Why had he chosen to listen to a ghost, a notorious trickster, on their home turf?

Yet despite his doubts, the luminous glow of the walls soon started to fade, leaving them in darker hallways where their steps actually seemed to carry them somewhere. Heart jumping for joy, Pikachu cheered that they were out of whatever place they had been and back in the real world again.

Which still was very dark.

He was so learning Flash when he got the chance.

Gastly more or less bounced from wall to wall, shouting non-sequiturs as he veered around the pillars like a mad balloon in a gale. _"Down the hall and to the left, the entrance is right between platform nine and ten!"_ his ghostly chatter flowed over them. _"Mind the head!"_

Pikachu discovered the last comment was in fact not meant for his trainer but for him as he rounded the corner and ran face-first into a sudden wall. A threshold? Why was it there, and why was it so tall?

Only, it turned out to not be a threshold at all. He pulled back to see rows of stone steps climbing each other towards the next floor, and as he turned around, he spotted the familiar hall of many doors before him.

Where they back at the stairs? Already?

Ash slid to a stop behind him, breath heaving as he took in their surroundings. "Wait- this is- where's Misty and Brock-? And Gary?"

 _"They followed us, didn't you hear?"_ Pikachu told him.

"No, I... I guess I was too focused on Meowth," Ash said, eyes running over the black-holed openings. Pikachu could not tell which of them they had initially left through, less where their friends had gone. "Where did Gastly go?"

 _"Hey, peeps?"_ their ghostly guide came drifting down from above. _"I think there's someone close by. Someone that's a not-ghost."_

He bobbed in the air, nodding towards the ceiling.

 _"Really?"_ Pikachu tentatively reached out with his own senses, but barely felt anything before his nerves seized up again. _"Mudcakes! My electrical sense is all thrown out of whack – I can barely tell you guys are standing right beside me."_

 _"You won't take my word for it?"_

 _"I'd rather not, frankly."_

 _"Fine, be that way. But! They're the only one close by, so that'd be the given place to look, right?"_

Pikachu frowned and turned to Ash. His trainer stared upwards, eyebrows furrowed in thought.

"Misty and Brock can take care of themselves. And Gary is strong." Ash was not one to mumble, so it had to be a reassurance for Pikachu. His trainer's eyes found his, steadfast determination set in his jaw. "Our teammate's the one who needs us right now."

Pikachu could hear the declaration in his words, and his heart soared.

 _"...So, is that a yes?"_

He was really not liking this ghost. _"It is."_

 _"Great! Then we're climbing! Well, you will – I'll just float since that's less effort but... anyway! Up we go!"_

The stairs were not made with pokémon in mind – and this was supposedly the Pokémon Tower, what a riot – but Pikachu persevered. The third floor looked much like the second, but with far less doors along the visible hallway than the one below.

It was lit, though.

 _"There! That wasn't so hard now, was it?"_ Gastly moved down the hall backwards, faving them as he talked. _"Now, come on! They're practically 'round the cor–"_ He cut himself off, twisting to the side. _"Uh, hey? Why're you hidin_ _–_ _"_

There was a flash of momentum, sinister darkness tearing through the air. Gastly went flying overhead with a warbling cry and tumbled through a wall. Pikachu looked back in time to see Meowth slip out from a shadowed recess, dark-type energy fading from his claws.

"Sweet revenge..." he purred.

"Meowth!" both Pikachu and Ash shouted – each in their different tongues, but their opponent was fluent in both.

The scratch cat glanced at them, his mouth twisting something between a smirk or a grimace. "Pheh. Didn't expect ya to catch up dis quick."

"Give me back my pokémon!" Ash demanded.

"De fine resident of dis 'ball is his own bein', twerp." Meowth leaned against a pillar and twisted his finger, the stolen poké ball appearing on his extended claw. It spun so fast it was little but a red and white blur. "I'd let him argue his case, but I'm guessing ya already got him converted."

 _"If you don't give him back, then we will just take him back!"_ Pikachu threatened. Meowth caught the poké ball with a smack, eyes narrowing.

"Spare me de one-liners." He righted himself and stretched his arms like he had just woken up – fluid as a cat, rigid like a human. "I was planning on leading you on a merry chase. Now I see you're too stubborn to be fooled by it."

He sunk down in a wide battle stance, 'ball gone and claws drawn. His expression grew the most blatantly hostile Pikachu had seen until then, and like a subtle evolution, the cat suddenly looked far more dangerous.

"So," Meowth said, "instead – how about you prove you can live up to you lip, prey?"

* * *

 _ **End of Chapter**_

* * *

 **[AN]: I gathered that the readers thought the last chapter was boring. For that you're getting a cliffie.**

 **I'm steadily creating my own take on these characters. Misty is more self-conscious and doubtful; Brock's relation with his parents is very different; Ash has an ingrained feeling of inadequacy, and Gary... well, he has some issues. Not to mention Meowth.**

 **(If anybody is worried about religion getting brought into this fic, know that it plays no big role. It's simply a part of the world that is referenced from time to time.)**

 **The Pokémon Tower is, like many other locations in this story, a merge between anime and games. It uses a similar look and floor plan to the one in R/B/Y and their remakes but is located outside the town itself. The interior though is more like a cross between the Ruins of Alph and Cerulean Cape than the layout I was going for. Oh well.**

 **And with that, this slightly-delayed Halloween instalment draws to a close. Good news is that I'm already making good progress on the next chapter, so stay tuned for that!**

 **Until next time.**


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